Long Time Coming
by mag721
Summary: Rachel is a diva, but Puck knows she has what it takes to win. So, they team up to conquer a challenge that has them seeing each other in a whole new way, and it just might show them that true love takes a long time coming. Puckleberry
1. Just a Dream, right?

**A/N: Apart from the obvious being that I don't own Glee or the characters, I'm trying my hand at a multi-chapter Glee fanfic. Therefore, I would appreciate any feedback you could give! R&R! Thank you! :) **

_**Long Time Coming**_

Rachel blamed it on the slushies. Or should she say the lack thereof? It was a fact that he hadn't thrown a slushie at her in weeks. Of course, her days weren't devoid of them entirely; other football players made sure of that. But, _he_ hadn't thrown one in weeks. And she wasn't sure what to make of it.

She woke up from her vivid dream somewhere around 5:30 a.m. She had been standing in the middle of the football field, staring at all the people in the stands who were staring at her. Just then, the stadium lights turned on, and she felt someone's warm hands around her waist, turning her to them. She turned slowly expecting to see Finn (after all, she did tend to dream about him more than anything, even more than winning a Tony). But what she saw surprised her like no other. She was staring into the loving eyes of Noah Puckerman. He stroked her cheek gently and he smiled, and she smiled back. As he leaned down to touch his lips to hers, she let out a sharp gasp, and then she was awake and alone in her room, wondering why in the world she was dreaming about Noah Puckerman. Yes, it most definitely had to be because he had yet to throw a slushie on her this week. But why exactly hadn't he?

Pushing Noah from her thoughts, Rachel figured she'd go ahead and get ready for her day. She popped her iPod into its dock, and the melodies of Matthew Wilder's "Break My Stride" filled her room. She got on her elliptical, and as she exercised with the goal of Sectionals in mind, her thoughts drifted to the last few weeks.

She thought maybe it was because Noah had joined Glee club, or that maybe he was actually maturing. He hadn't been as overtly rude to her, nor had he called her a freak for awhile. She was beginning to soften around the hard-hearted football player who made her first two years of high school a nightmare. Sometimes she would look around the rehearsal room and find him regarding her in the most quizzical of ways…like he was trying to figure her out. But he never spoke to her or touched her, even in passing, unless a choreographed move called for it. But that dream felt so real. He was going to kiss me…Stop it, she thought, as she shook her head once more. Why are you overanalyzing the actions of Noah Puckerman? What does it even matter? What's more, _why_ does it matter?

She refocused on her sign for Sectionals, finished her three-mile trek on the elliptical, relished in a hot shower, and was on her way to school in record time. And she didn't think about her confusing dream the rest of the day.

* * *

Puck blamed in on that sunshine yellow dress. She was wearing it for the girls' mash-up song that, for some reason, Puck was actually looking forward to seeing. As he rounded the corner, grape slushie in hand, he stopped in his tracks. There stood Rachel at her locker, wearing that yellow dress. His eyes travelled from the ruffles at her chest down to the hemline where the dress teased him right above her knees to her feet which were clad in golden-hued ballet flats. He knew then he couldn't do it. He couldn't throw a slushie on her. Not today. And apparently, not for the next few weeks after that either. He still couldn't stand her, but the slushie facials weren't worth his time. He figured he'd think of another way to torture her; at least that's what he kept telling himself.

He woke up from his dream around 5:30 a.m. He had had another dream about Rachel Berry. Only this time, they weren't having hot and heavy make out sessions in random places (seriously, the bird exhibit at the zoo?) like they usually were in his dreams. Ever since he witnessed the "debauchery" that was "Push It" in that school assembly, every so often his dreams were assaulted with visions of Rachel. He never knew what to make of it, but he figured, hey, I'm making out with a hot chick, so it really doesn't matter that it's Rachel, right?

But no, this dream was different. They were together in what appeared to be his house, and they were cuddling on the couch watching a movie. Then, suddenly, they were transported to a fair, where they were walking toward the Ferris wheel, eating cotton candy, laughing, and holding hands. Then, they were singing at Sectionals; they had a duet, and they sounded really good together. All of these instances in his dreams, and he didn't kiss her once. It was so…so….normal. And that's what made him nervous. He jolted awake, ran his hand through his mohawk, and wondered why he would have that kind of dream about Rachel. Yeah, it had to be that stupid yellow dress. Whatever, he thought, it's just a dream.

Yet, as he showered and ate breakfast, he thought about what had transpired over the last few weeks. Since the day of the girls' mash-up, he had tried to act nicer to Rachel. Okay, maybe not nicer; he still pretty much ignored her. But, at least he wasn't being a complete jerk. Maybe this whole Glee club thing really was getting to him. Rachel was a pretty girl; one would have to be blind not to see it. However, she talked too much, and she was a diva, and she could throw a mean temper tantrum. She pretty much deserved every slushie she got. But, then he had to go and see her in that yellow dress. He didn't know why, but there was something about that yellow dress that made him want to act a little more civil to Rachel Berry. Ugh, he thought, man up, Puckerman. You are not a wuss. Don't let this Glee thing get to your head. Now is not the time to get soft.

Puck refocused on his strawberry pop tarts. He brushed his teeth, grabbed his books, and headed off to school. But, unlike Rachel, he thought about his confusing dream for the rest of the day.

**A/N 2: So, I hope you guys enjoyed it! I know where the story is headed in the end, but the course it's going to take to get it there might be topsy turvy! I am excited to be writing it, and I hope you stick around for the ride! :)**


	2. Out of the Box

**A/N: I don't own anything Glee related much to my dismay. I am completely overwhelmed by the response to my story. It means so much to see that you guys are reading (and liking!) this story. I am truly grateful. Enjoy the next installment and please R&R! Thanks! :)**

_**Chapter 2: Out of the Box**_

Rachel wasn't sure this week could get any weirder. First, waking up on Monday to that awkward dream about Noah, and now that wrenching feeling made its way to the pit of her stomach. She breathed in deeply as she headed to the choir room. Glee practice wasn't for another hour, but having study hall the period before Glee gave Rachel plenty of time to warm up her vocal cords. She felt uneasy for some reason but couldn't put her finger on why. It was as if her gut was trying to tell her something, but she didn't know what. The last time she felt this way was when Finn joined Glee club. She thought she had found her soul mate, or at the very least a compatible and competent musical companion. In the end, all she got from him were her first two kisses and a string of heartbreaks and letdowns.

So, of course, when the feeling returned, Rachel knew the place to go to find solace. The Glee room was her sanctuary. She discovered it after the first few days of slushie attacks way back in ninth grade. Ever since then, Rachel used this room as a temporary relief, sitting at the piano, plucking away at the keys until she could slip away to class undetected. That was before she had learned to quickly school her features and not let the embarrassment show. Now, she could take a slushie like the best of them. No need to hide now. Yet, some days, she still did.

Rachel sat at the piano in question as she remembered her first time in this room. Noah Puckerman had just thrown a cherry slushie on her brand new white cashmere sweater. The stain never came out. Noah. Why did everything come back to Noah? Rachel shuddered at the thought, but quickly pushed it to the back of her mind. She turned her thoughts to Glee rehearsal which was now in twenty minutes. Rachel marveled at the fact that her trip down memory lane had lasted as long as it did. Squaring her shoulders and putting her mind on the task at hand, she began playing some vocal warm-ups.

"Hello, princess," Kurt said cheerily, as he tossed his Louis Vuitton messenger bag on the chair next to the piano.

Rachel ceased playing and smiled at her friend. She had never known anyone like Kurt; he was always so kind, and he made her feel special. "Hello, Kurt," she said warmly. "Come early to warm up with me?"

"Of course, m'dear," he replied. "But first, you must give me your thoughts." He looked at her eagerly, as if she knew something and he wanted in on the secret.

Rachel had no idea what he was talking about. When she told him as much, he scoffed at her. "Surely, you, the queen of Gleedom, know what Mr. Schuester is planning for rehearsal. Mercedes overheard him telling Ms. Pillsbury that he was going to get us 'out of the box,'" Kurt claimed, using air quotes for the last part.

"Get us out of the box?" Rachel asked nervously. Her mind went in a million directions, but she reeled them in quickly. "No, Kurt, I have no inclination of what Mr. Schuester is planning, but if he intends to get us out of this proverbial box as you say, then he must have a specific goal in mind. I think we should all go into this rehearsal with an open mind, Kurt. I am positive Mr. Schuester would not subject us to that would cause contention among the group. We must work together to get to Sectionals," Rachel concluded. She took in another deep breath and smiled weakly at Kurt. He returned the look with a cocked eyebrow and a snort.

"Okay…whatever you say, love," Kurt placated. As soon as he patted her on the shoulder, the rest of the Glee members entered the room, almost as if on cue, with Puck bringing up the rear.

Rachel smiled hesitantly at each member, getting a variety of responses, including smiles from Tina, Brittany, and Artie, scowls from Quinn and Santana, a wink from Mercedes, heads up nods from Matt and Mike, and a smirk from Puck. Finn gave her a weak smile in return before turning his attention back to Quinn. They all settled in their seats as they awaited the arrival of their fearless leader.

* * *

Puck knew something was going down today. He felt it in his bones. Every since Monday when he woke up from that crazy dream, his game had been off. First, he couldn't concentrate in English because of "the dream." Then, he failed to get the cute IHOP waitress's number (eh, she wasn't that cute anyway). Then, Coach Tanaka made him run laps for missing three passes in a row (he blames Finn's lousy arm, but that was lost on Tanaka). Then, at dinner on Wednesday, he had to listen to his mother wail on about him not dating a nice Jewish girl. Then, after all that, she asked why Finn got all the leads in Glee club (same reason Finn got everything he wanted; he was Finn freakin' Hudson, the "golden boy." Gag me.). But he didn't say that aloud; instead, he mumbled something about talking to Mr. Schue (anything to make his mom stop riding his back). Actually, Puck would never admit it, but it really should be stated "anything to make his mom happy and proud." He would never let it be said, but Noah Puckerman was a sucker when it came to his mom.

That's why when he walked in to Glee on Thursday, he was prepared to ask Mr. Schue for a solo. That was before Rachel Berry smiled at him so sweetly, and threw him even more off his game. Geez, what's with her? Why was she so nice, after all he'd done to her? Whatever, he'd worry about that later. All he had to do was talk to Schue after rehearsal, and his mom would be happy. That was the plan…before Mr. Schuester came in and threw everyone off their rockers with his words: "Okay, guys, let's shake things up a bit."

Uh oh. Shaking things up a bit could not be good. What did Mr. Schuester have going on in that crazy, curly head of his? They didn't have to wait long to find out. "All right, what I want to do is get you guys out of the box a little bit. So, here's what we're going to do. We'll break you guys up into duets. One new member, a Cheerio or football player, with an original member."

Rachel stiffened, and Puck wondered what her problem was. Quinn smiled excitedly and linked her arm with Finn's. Puck realized then what Rachel was upset about. Pairing a new member with an old one meant Finn and Quinn could automatically work together. Ugh.

"Not so fast, Quinn," Mr. Schuester chuckled. Rachel's head popped up, and Puck was even interested. What did Schue have up his sleeve? "Now, you guys are going to pair up, but I want you to get out of the box. The new member chooses his or her partner—and it _must_ be someone you wouldn't normally work with."

The group let out a collective groan. Mr. Schuester just laughed. "Come on, guys, you've been working really well together, but we still need to learn how to be comfortable with each other. That's why you're going to work with someone outside your comfort zone _and_ sing a duet in a genre you're not used to singing."

Rachel's eyes bugged out at that statement, and Puck had all he could do not to laugh. Little Miss Broadway wouldn't be able to fall back on show tunes this time. His thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Schuester's last comments.

"Okay, you guys have a whole month to prepare this song. I'm giving you a long time because I want them to be flawless. Put everything you have into them. I want the works—choreography, costumes, everything. The best duet will get to work on a special duet for Sectionals. Lots of pressure riding on this assignment, guys; make me proud," Mr. Schuester smiled. "Okay, take the rest of rehearsal to get your partners and work out your schedules."

He packed up his things and sat in the corner to observe his students. Not one moved. Then, slowly, Brittany got up and walked over to Kurt. "Can we be partners?" she asked shyly.

Kurt looked around as if he wasn't sure if she was talking to him or not, "Uh, yeah, sure, Britt. We'll be fabulous together," he said with a flip of his bangs. Slowly, the rest of the kids started to mingle.

All Puck heard was "special duet for Sectionals." This was his chance. If he could win this challenge, he could have a solo, and his mom would be proud of him. He wanted to win. But, in order to win, he knew what he had to do. Puck groaned inwardly. Looks like he would be working with Rachel Berry.

* * *

Rachel was worried and relieved all at the same time. She knew Quinn and Finn couldn't work together so that made her happy. But, it also meant _she_ couldn't work with him, and that made her sad. Who would she sing with? None of the Cheerios liked her, and Matt and Mike weren't so bad, but they didn't ever really talk to her. She knew Puck would rather die than ask her, so that gave her a little relief. But, who would ask her? She practically jumped out of her skin when she heard Puck's voice behind her.

"Hey, Berry," he said.

"Hello, Noah," she replied warily.

"So, um, I was wondering…do you maybe want to work together?" Puck asked quietly. He was not his normal cocky self, and that made Rachel nervous.

"Seriously?" she asked. She didn't mind working with Puck, but not if she was being set up for some greater humiliation.

"Yeah, Berry, why do you think I'm asking?" he asked, irritated. He rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'm setting you up or anything. I just want to win." He sounded frustrated and tired, like he didn't want to be talking anymore.

"Well, I suppose a partnership would work under the circumstances. My vocal superiority and your…obvious determination could very well make us a force to be reckoned with," Rachel said with a satisfied smile.

"Is that a yes or no, Berry?" Puck asked with a sharp edge.

"Yes, Noah, I will work with you," Rachel said with a sigh, hoping she wasn't getting herself into trouble.

"Cool," Puck said, as he turned to leave the Glee room.

"Noah," Rachel called after him. "We have things to discuss. We need to decide what we're going to sing, when we're going to rehearse. Now, Mr. Schuester said he wanted us to sing from a musical genre we're not used to, so I was thinking…"

Puck cleared his throat to get Rachel's attention. "I have an idea. My sister and her friends like the country artist Taylor Swift, and she–"

"Yes, Taylor Swift is a talented musician, and her heartfelt lyrics generally elicit genuine responses from her target audience, but I don't know–"

"Dude, Berry, could you just chill for a second and let me finish what I was going to say?" Puck spat out.

"Oh. Sorry." She blushed at being called out like that, and by Noah no less. As she stared at him, Puck's glare softened and she could've sworn she saw him start to smile. But, it left his face as quickly as it appeared, so Rachel figured she must've imagined it.

"Anyway, as I was saying, they like Taylor Swift, and she just was just on tour with a band called Gloriana."

Rachel's ears perked up. "Gloriana, like the opera?"

Puck sighed. This was going to try his patience more than he realized. "No, Berry, not like the opera. They're a country quartet. Their stuff is pretty good. Anyway, I was listening to their album yesterday. One of their songs is a really cool duet."

Rachel was stunned. For one, Noah had never spoken to her as much in that one sitting as he had in, well, forever, and for another thing, he actually made a suggestion for a song choice. She had fully expected him to sit back and mooch off of her God-given talent to win Mr. Schue's little competition. She had no idea he would actually contribute more than his singing voice. She was impressed. But now wasn't the time to show it just yet. She'd make him work a little harder before she treated him with any sort of compliments.

"Well, I don't know. I suppose the country western genre is out of my comfort zone, and Mr. Schuester did want us to broaden our musical horizons…" She began to pack up her music and books. "Of course, I'd have to listen to the song before I make any sort of final judgment on it." She straightened her back as she gathered her bags. "But, since you were willing to come up with a suggestion, the least I can do is to hear you out."

"Oh, well, thank you so much for your consideration, Miss Berry," Puck said sarcastically, mocking her as he exaggerated a bow to her.

Rachel heard the sarcasm dripping from his tone and saw the overused smirk on his lips, but she was above being rattled by it. She squared her shoulders and said, "You're quite welcome, Mr. Puckerman. Rehearsal is tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium. I'll have my decision for you then," and then she spun on her heels and left Puck in the Glee room, speechless.

Oh yeah, this was definitely going to be harder than he thought. But at least it would be interesting.


	3. A Long Four Weeks Ahead

**AN: I am overwhelmed by your responses to this story. To all who have story/author alerted and favorited (I so just made that word up…oh well!) ****it****, I am amazed beyond words. At the risk of sounding selfish, please R&R—it inspires me! Thank you all! :o)**

_**Chapter 3: A Long Four Weeks Ahead**_

Rachel had to hand it to him. Gloriana was actually a well-established band with a charming catalog of songs. Their harmonies were quite euphonic if truth be told. And, much to her dismay, she would have to tell him that truth today at their first rehearsal.

As she walked into the lunchroom, Rachel thought about how odd it was for Noah to ask to be her partner in the first place. Why did he want to sing with her? She ignored the warm feeling she got when she thought about singing with him and got her thoughts quickly back on track. She thought he had said something about winning. Leave it to a jock to underestimate the power of music and diminish it to a simple matter of winning and losing. Didn't he understand that music was her passion? Of course, not everyone shared that passion; she would do well to remember that. She sighed as she sat at the usual Glee table, wondering where everyone was. Slowly but surely, the other kids made their way to the table.

"So, Brittany and I are already choreographing our song," Kurt said proudly as he took his usual spot to Rachel's right.

"Whatever, diva, you know that my chocolate thunder mixed with Santana's Latina flair is gonna make Mr. Schue putty in our hands," Mercedes countered.

Artie laughed at that comment, as he opened his turkey sandwich. "I don't know about you guys, but I am starving! Quinn and I met after school to talk about our song, and all she did was eat! Something about cravings, she said, but I swear, they're rubbing off, because I can't stop shoving food in my mouth!" Everyone cracked up at that.

"M-m-mike's pretty cool," Tina said quietly. "He likes to p-pop and lock a lot, though."

"Wait. So, you all have already been rehearsing with your respective partners?" Rachel asked nervously.

"Y-y-yeah, haven't you?" Tina replied. Rachel looked down as she shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"Aw heck nah," Mercedes boomed. "Don't tell me that by working with crazy white boy, you're gonna slack off. That is _not_ the Rachel I know!" She and Kurt shared a sympathetic tsk tsk tsk.

Rachel sat up straighter. "No, Mercedes, we are not slacking off. I would have had the entire duet story boarded and choreographed last night had I not graciously allowed Noah the opportunity to suggest a proper song for us to perform."

The remaining four students looked at Rachel with looks of utter shock. Kurt was the first to regain his voice.

"You mean, he's actually…*gasp*…helping?" he asked as he pretended to swoon on Tina's shoulder. She and Mercedes giggled as Artie just smiled and shook his head at their theatrics.

Rachel was about to respond when she looked over Kurt's head and saw Puck coming straight for them. He made it look casual as he slid in the seat next to her. "Uh, hey guys," he said, almost weirded out by the strange stares he was receiving.

Artie recovered quickly. "Hey, man," he said, tossing his extra Twinkie to Puck. In return, Puck pulled out a pack of powdered doughnuts of his jacket pocket and slid them across the table.

Rachel looked between the two like a tennis match. What had just happened? Puck snickered and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "My mom won't buy Twinkies anymore. Something about the cream filling being too suggestive or whatever. So Artie sneaks me one every day. He's cool." He shrugs as if it were the most normal thing in the world. She looked at Artie again.

"And, how long exactly have you been making these friendly exchanges?" she asked, truly curious as to how she missed this sudden camaraderie.

Puck shrugged again. "I don't know, since I joined Glee I guess. What does it matter?"

Rachel thought about her answer to that question. What did it matter? Did it matter that she suddenly realized that Noah Puckerman might have a nicer side to him? Under that hardened (and well chiseled, she might add) exterior was…a friendly guy? No, it couldn't be. After all, Artie seemed to be the only one Puck was really openly nice to. Everyone else was still subject to his rude comments, not to mention a cruel glare if you caught him on the wrong day. While he no longer played pranks on any Glee member, he still wasn't the friendliest one of the bunch.

"Berry," Puck said, a little irritated, effectively breaking her from her thoughts. She glanced up at him. He looked at her expectantly. How long had she been spacing out?

"Uh, I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?" she asked meekly. He snorted.

"Yeah, so, did you listen to the songs, Berry?" he asked again.

"Oh! Yes, Noah," she replied, smiling, "I must admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but I promised you I'd listen with an objective mind. I do believe Gloriana is the perfect mixture of difficulty as well as the fact that it would be out of our musical comfort zones–"

"Great, Berry," Puck said, quickly standing from his seat. "Uh, I'll see you later."

With that, he stalked away toward his normal table filled with football players and Cheerios. Rachel watched as he slid into a seat next to Alyssa, one of the newest Cheerios, and smiled at her. Rachel rolled her eyes as she saw Alyssa twirling her hair, laughing an oh-so-fake laugh. Rachel thought he would actually sit with the Glee kids for a change. Obviously she was wrong. Figures. She sighed, feeling an annoying ache in her stomach that she couldn't define. This was going to be a long four weeks.

* * *

Puck didn't know what had possessed him to go over to the Glee table. He was kind of ticked when he heard Kurt say "he's actually helping!?" like he was all shocked or something. Rachel looked a little off kilter by Kurt's outburst. He wasn't upset that she hadn't said anything; he didn't blame her for not saying anything. He was just annoyed with Kurt and the other Glee kids. Did they seriously not have any faith in him? Geez.

He sighed. He really brought it on himself, he guessed. Sure, he exuded manliness from every pore, but sadly he also had Lima Loser running through his veins. That's why he needed to win this solo. So he could prove to his mom—no, to his peers—no, to himself—that he was more than just a Lima loser.

So, he made his way to the Glee table. He was cool with Artie because Abrams played a mean electric guitar. Plus, he had a way of intimidating you when he stared up at you from his wheelchair. Puck shuddered at the thought. He was tolerant of Kurt because he had helped them win their first football game in God knows how long. Even if they did have to do that stupid Beyoncé dance. It wasn't that bad, plus it got him some action with two new Cheerios. Mercedes was a pistol who always said what she was thinking. He liked that about her. Tina was cool most of the time because she was quiet. She really could pull of the Goth chick. It was kinda hot even. And then there was Rachel.

A familiar twinge made his way in his chest when he thought about Rachel. She was always nice to him, even when he was a jerk to him. On one hand, she talked too much and too loudly, and she was prone to hissy fits. On the other hand, she was pretty, and she sang like nobody's business. She even smelled like strawberry cupcakes. He had caught a whiff of it at the lunch table, and it did funny things to his insides. He tried to brush it off, but he realized he just needed to get up and leave.

He saw Rachel's look of disappointment when he left the Glee table. Good. He didn't want her thinking they were friends or something. No, that was a lie. He didn't care if she thought they were friends, as long as they could just keep it under wraps. Okay, that was a lie too. Maybe they could be friends, and it didn't have to be just about this duet. Ugh, he was changing whether he liked it or not. Yeah, he was softening up, and he cringed at the thought. But still, he couldn't soften too much; he did have a reputation to uphold and all. This was going to be a hard four weeks.

**AN2: Sorry if this chapter was a little short and a little bit of a filler; I just wanted to establish a baseline for some feelings that Rachel and Puck are having. Thanks for being patient! I should have the next chapter up pretty soon! p.s. R&R=love :o)**


	4. Lead Me On

**AN: Once again, you all are SO awesome! I am continually blown away by your feedback and responses! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, there is a song in this chapter. The singing key just in case it's not clear:**

_Rachel_

**Puck**

_**Together**_

**Also, please R&R! Thanks much! :o)**

_**Chapter 4: Lead Me On**_

Rachel was in the auditorium at 3:25 setting up for her rehearsal with Puck. She hoped he'd be on time. Puck strolled in around 3:33, as if he had nowhere else to be. Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"For future reference, when I say 3:30, I mean 3:30," she said cattily.

"Chill, Berry, I'm here, aren't I?" Puck shot back. He threw his bags down on the front row and joined her onstage.

"Well, I think perhaps before we start, we should lay some ground rules down," Rachel stated. Puck raised his eyebrows at her in question. "So we know what we expect of each other in this collaboration, Noah," she explained.

Puck shrugged. "Yeah, whatever," he said.

"Rule 1: Please be on time. I can't stress enough how important rehearsals are," Rachel stated. "Rule 2: I expect this to be an equal partnership. Feel free to suggest things. Usually, I'd be the one doing the choreography and preparation, but since you have already started out by proposing the musical number, you can help with other things too."

"Gee, thanks," he said sarcastically. Rachel gave him a critical look as she continued.

"Rule 3: You need to practice on your own, not just here," she pointed out. Puck groaned.

"Noah, I am trying to work with you here. Could you please just cooperate?" she asked.

"I'm trying, but your stupid rules are making it a little hard, Berry. It's a song. We're going to sing it. And we're going to rock. Just take a chill pill," he practically spit out the last sentence.

"Well, excuse me, Mr. Puckerman! I am trying to help you out here! You obviously thought working with me would do you some good. I thought we could get past our differences long enough to work on this song. I thought you were growing up a little, but I was obviously wrong," she huffed.

Now, Puck was mad. She had no right to say those things. "Look Rachel, I don't want to play nice. I don't want to be friends. I just want to win! I want to get a lead for Sectionals, and prove that I'm not some deadbeat loser. So, if I have to put up with you for a few weeks to do that, then that's just what I'm gonna do." He jumped off the stage and headed for the door. Rachel was shocked at how upset he'd gotten, but soon enough, shame washed over her. She shouldn't have goaded him that way.

"Noah, wait! Please," she cried. "I-I'm sorry." When Puck turned around, she was sitting with her head down. He felt that twinge again and realized that if he was going to make this work, he'd have to reign in his temper. He slowly made his way back to the stage.

When Rachel looked at him, she had tears in her eyes. Crap, he didn't deal well with crying girls. He shifted uncomfortably. She finally spoke, "Look, Noah, I really am sorry I said those things. You have grown as a person and a performer. It's just…I see so much potential in you, that when you brush these things off, I feel like you don't want to care." She shrugged helplessly, having run out of words.

Noah was surprised at what she said. She thought he had potential? Wow. No one, not even his mom, ever told him he had potential. Sure, he knew his mom thought it, but she never said it. It felt good to hear it said out loud. He smiled a little at Rachel. "I'm sorry I lost my temper and stormed out. I'm trying, Berry," he said softly.

"I know," she replied, just as softly. She smiled back at him. They were sitting in such close proximity that her bare knee brushed against his leg. They sat that way for a few minutes before Puck caught a whiff of her strawberry-scented hair again. It brought him back into the moment.

He stood up, reaching down a hand for Rachel to grab. She took it as she stood up, and he swore he could feel an electric spark pass between them. She must've felt it too because she pulled her hand back quickly and her face began to flush. The faint blush suited her, Puck decided. He just might have to think of some ways to see that more often. He smiled to himself at that thought.

Rachel cleared her throat, effectively pulling him out of his musing. "Well, now that we've gotten that heart-to-heart out of the way," she said teasingly, "we can start rehearsal." Puck smirked in response.

"So, I narrowed my choices of potential duets to three songs: "Come and Save Me," "If You're Leaving," and "Lead Me On." What do you think?" she asked.

Puck thought about it for a minute. "Come and Save Me" was too cheesy, even for them to pull off. "If You're Leaving" would be fun, but it wouldn't leave the emotional effect that "Lead Me On" would. Plus, there was just something about that song that seemed so sexy to him. Yeah, he knew it was a weird way to describe it, but the song was pretty sensual when it came down to it.

"'Lead Me On,'" he decided. Rachel looked surprised. He caught on to her look and gave her an explanation of his thought process, leaving out the sensuality of the song, of course. She smiled again.

"Once again, I'm impressed," she said.

"Don't act so shocked," Puck said, winking at her. There was that blush again. Oh, this was too easy.

"Well, let's try it out," Rachel suggested. She moved to the iPod adapter and started up the music. "Just do what comes naturally; we'll choreograph later."

The song had a haunting string arrangement as an introduction. Rachel took one last glance at Puck as she began to sing:

_There you go in all your beautiful glory  
Messing with my head like you always did  
_

Puck took a breath and began:

**I'm thinking things I don't want to say  
And I can't breathe  
What do I have to tell you girl  
So you won't leave?  
**

Rachel's soft voice broke through on the chorus:

_Tell me what I want to hear  
I don't care if you're lying, baby  
I just want to feel you touch me right now_

Puck joined in, mixing his deep voice with hers:

_**Go ahead and call it love  
Tomorrow you can deny it, baby  
Kiss me again, let me pretend  
That it's not wrong  
**_

Rachel took the last line of the chorus:

_Baby, lead me on.  
_

Rachel circled around Puck but turned to face him on the last line:

_I wanna touch your skin, I wanna taste it  
I wanna feel that love like we used to make it_

She blushed at those lines, and Puck couldn't help but smile. She smiled shyly in return.

Puck reached a hand out to her as he sang:

**I don't care if we go nowhere  
You're all I see  
One more night with you  
Is all I need  
**

They grabbed hands as they sang the chorus:

_**Tell me what I want to hear  
I don' t care if you're lying, baby  
I just want to feel you touch me right now  
Go ahead and call it love  
Tomorrow you can deny it, baby  
Kiss me again, let me pretend  
That it's not wrong  
**__Baby, lead me on_

Puck dropped her hand and turned away:

**I know what you want  
I know what you need  
I know when I'm gone  
You'll still think of me**

Rachel backed away slowly and turned away:

_You know what I want  
You know what I need  
I know when you're gone  
You won't even think about me  
_

They turned quickly back to each other:

_**Tell me what I want to hear  
I don' t care if you're lying, baby  
I just want to feel you touch me right now  
So go ahead and call it love  
Tomorrow you can deny it, baby  
Whisper my name, baby, no shame  
Is it so wrong?  
**__Baby, lead me on  
_

They began walking slowly back toward each other:

**I know what you want  
I know what you need **_(Baby, lead me on)_**  
I know when I'm gone  
**_You won't even think about me_

**I know what you want  
I know what you need  
**_Oh you know, you know, you know, know…  
You won't even think about me  
_

**I know what you want  
**_(Baby, lead me on)  
_**I know what you need**_  
Baby, lead me __**on…**_

By the ending note, they were standing close enough to brush fingers. Again, the spark was there. He took her small hands in his. They were both breathing heavily; although he was sure it had nothing to do with overexertion on either of their parts. Puck looked down into Rachel's shining eyes. Her cheeks flushed again. He was close enough to kiss her, and suddenly, she wasn't the annoying diva she always was; she was a beautiful, talented girl and he'd be stupid not to realize it. He slowly lowered his lips to her. He saw her eyes close involuntarily. But, just as he could feel her cool breath on his face, she let out a slight gasp and stepped back, but not out of his grasp.

"Just because I sing about it, doesn't mean I want you to do it," she whispered.

"Do what?" he whispered back.

"Lead me on," Rachel said hoarsely. "I know when you truly open yourself up to the music, it makes you feel things you might not normally let yourself feel. But, I don't want you to do anything you'll regret or I'll hurt from later." As she said her peace, her voice never rose above a whisper.

That's when Puck realized the damage he'd caused her all these years. He also realized the damage his careless action would've caused. He was such an idiot. As he looked back at Rachel, he noticed her eyes had closed again, like she was waiting for him to decide what to do. He took one look at her soft features and knew what he had to do.

Rachel had told Noah the truth. She didn't know what that would lead to, so she just closed her eyes and waited. What was she thinking? Would she let him kiss her if he decided to? She wasn't sure. But just as thoughts her racing through her head, the warm grasp Noah had on her hands disappeared. She opened her eyes to find Noah rushing out the back door of the auditorium. Rachel blew out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She sighed. He didn't kiss her. She wasn't sure she would've wanted him to anyway. But then again, if she didn't want him to kiss her, why was she so disappointed when he didn't?

**AN2: Thanks again for reading! I'll be back with more updates after the Thanksgiving holidays as I will be out of town till Monday! Ya'll have a happy Turkey Day!! Remember, R&R=Love :o)**


	5. Stupid Feelings

**AN: Thank you all for your alerts and favorites! Without the risk of sounding selfish, please read and review! They truly inspire me, and I thank you for that! **

**Oh, and because I've forgotten in the past and in case I forget in the future, I don't own anything…not Glee nor any of the songs used in this fanfic! :o)**

* * *

_**Chapter 5: Stupid Feelings**_

Puck was lying in bed thinking of his first rehearsal with Rachel. He didn't know what had come over him. He _ran_ _out_ of the auditorium. He didn't kiss Rachel. Not because he didn't want to. He did. But, he had already hurt her so much. He just had to think. And thinking about her was all he'd done since he had gotten home.

It was so weird. They had gone from fighting to singing to almost kissing in the span of ten minutes. And somewhere in between all that, between one heartbeat and the next, Puck had fallen a little bit for Rachel Berry. He wasn't in love with her or anything. Gosh, no. He just…thought she was cool in her own quirky way of course. She really was a nice girl. Why did it take him this long to figure that out?

It wasn't easy to define this warm feeling wiggling its way into Puck's stomach. Thinking long and hard about it, he came to the realization he might have a little crush on Berry. Wow, that made him sound like a complete girl, but how else could he explain it?

The only problem with admitting that to himself (because he sure as heck wasn't going to admit it to anyone else anytime soon) was that there was no way on God's green earth Rachel Berry would trust him enough to give him the time of day. Not that he wanted her to or anything. Or did he? Geez, he didn't even know what he wanted anymore! He just knew he'd been a jerk for too long to just think he could naturally sweep her off her feet. He'd have to be her friend first. See, this is why he stayed away from feelings. Feelings and emotions suck. They have no right to just pop up whenever they want to. Ugh, he thought. Stupid girl feelings.

* * *

The next day at school, Rachel didn't necessarily go out of her way to avoid Puck, but she didn't exactly try to see him either. He had tried to talk to her at her locker, but she faked having to meet a teacher before class. Then, he gave her a funny look when she dodged out of the way so she wouldn't walk past him in the hallway. He finally cornered her at the water fountain after fifth period.

"Hey, we still on for rehearsal, right?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, of course," she said, flustered.

"Okay, see you at lunch," he said, flashing her a small smile.

"Yes," she said, blushing.

Noah gave her another confused look, but he shook it off and headed down the hallway. Rachel exhaled sharply. She knew he didn't understand why she was acting oddly. He probably just thought she was embarrassed about yesterday.

Which she was, she guessed. The way he left her in the auditorium had confused her, and the niggling feeling in her chest had become harder and harder to ignore. She didn't understand it. She thought she liked Finn. What were these feelings that she got when she was around Puck? Ugh, she thought. Stupid girl feelings.

* * *

Rachel was sorting through her feelings on her way to lunch when she saw it. She froze in shock at the sight of three very large football players—Tim Gellars, James Bronsky, and Reid Stevens—with large slushies in their hands. They each had a Cheerio between them, and Rachel recognized Alyssa as one of them. She knew what was coming so all she could do was brace herself.

One slushie hit her face with scary accuracy. She clenched her eyes shut to keep the corn syrup from entering them. She heard the laughter, but the second and third slushie didn't come.

They didn't come, that is, until the jocks and Cheerios were past her, and then she felt the second slushie hit her back, the ice feeling like little daggers in her spine. She whipped around in shock and was greeted by the third and final slushie. The laughter carried through the hallways as Rachel did her best to get to a bathroom before she broke down in tears.

The shower did wonders for getting the slushie out of her hair, but even the hot water couldn't wash away the shame she felt. She turned off the water and wrapped up in a towel. Suddenly, the door opened. Rachel froze because she thought she'd locked the door. She heard girls talking and giggling, and she swore she could hear Alyssa's nasally voice.

"This should show her," Rachel heard a voice say, followed by rustling and more giggling. Then, the door opened again, and the girls were gone.

Rachel warily stepped out of the shower area to where she had set her change of clothes. She had been grateful that she never stopped bringing an extra set even though it had been awhile since her last slushie attack. But, she stopped short. Where were her clothes?

Oh no, she thought, as she sank down on the bench. She rummaged through her bag and found her phone to send a text to the only one who would understand.

* * *

Puck kept an eye on the door to the cafeteria. He was going to sit with the Glee kids today, but he didn't want to sit there without Rachel. Maybe she wasn't coming to lunch. She had been acting kind of weird today, but Puck figured it was because of yesterday. He hoped he'd get a chance to explain himself, but he wasn't sure Rachel would let him. He needed her to understand that he was a stupid guy with stupid guy impulses. But, hey, he had actually refrained from acting on those impulses, so that was a start, right?

Seriously, where was Rachel? He swept the room once more before heading to the Glee table.

"And so, I said to her, 'Girl, there ain't no way we're singing a Spice Girls' song,'" Mercedes said as Puck approached the table.

"Hey guys," he said. "Has anyone seen Berry?"

"No, man, I haven't," Artie replied pulling out his usual Twinkie. Puck nodded his thanks.

"Well, Puck, it's so nice of you to grace us with your presence this afternoon," Kurt said haughtily. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Puck was about to answer when Kurt's phone vibrated across the table.

"Hmmm, speaking of Rachel," Kurt said confused. After he read the text, he grabbed his messenger bag and stood to leave.

"What's going on?" Puck asked, following Kurt out of the cafeteria. But, Kurt was too distracted texting Rachel. "Beyoncé! Answer me!"

Kurt didn't look up from his phone as he answered, "Rachel has an emergency."

"An emergency?" Puck parroted. He suddenly felt sick. Maybe this is what caring for someone felt like? Stupid _stupid_ girl feelings. He swallowed hard. "Is she okay?"

"Well, it's just a fashion emergency, but sometimes those are the worst kinds," Kurt said matter-of-factly, as he rounded the corner.

Puck breathed a sigh of relief but inwardly thought of a way to torture Kurt at football practice for scaring him like that. He followed Kurt to the girls' bathroom in the east wing. Just as Kurt and Puck were about the head in, Kurt stopped and turned to him.

"Um, this is where you stay," he let Puck down gently.

"Wait, why do you get to go in?" Puck asked.

Kurt smiled knowingly and pointed to himself, "Gay, remember?" He patted Puck on the head which earned him a growl. "Better luck next time."

And with that, he strutted through the door. Puck scowled. Some guys have all the luck. Seconds later, Kurt came back out.

"I need your letterman jacket," he stated, holding his hands out.

"Why?" Puck asked suspiciously.

"Questions later. Jacket now, pretty boy," Kurt shot back.

Puck took it off begrudgingly. "What the heck is going on, Hummel?"

"Be right back. Oh! Do you have any gym shorts and a t-shirt?" Kurt asked.

Puck nodded, still confused.

"I'll need those too. Thanks," he said cheerily, blew Puck a kiss, and headed back in the bathroom.

Puck shook off the wave of weirdness coursing through his body as he headed to his locker for some gym clothes. What in the world was he getting himself into?

* * *

"Thank you for your help, Kurt. I know we haven't always been the best of friends…" Rachel stated calmer than she felt.

She felt odd standing in the girls' bathroom in just a towel, but at least it was just Kurt.

"Nonsense, doll," Kurt said, waving her off. "I do what I can. We divas must band together," he said, as he went out the door with a wink.

Rachel giggled, and for the first time today, she felt happy. She didn't know who Kurt was talking to, but if the deep voice outside was any indication, she had a feeling it was Puck. Her stomach knotted. She didn't want him to see her like this. Like this, she felt weak. For some reason, she felt like she needed to keep a strong front up around Puck. Maybe she felt that after all these years of being slushied, it would get easier, but it never did. It didn't help that Puck used to be her main tormentor. And now, for him to see her like this, a victim once more…it was almost too much for her.

"Okay, I've got something while we wait for some clothes," Kurt claimed as he handed her Puck's letterman jacket.

Rachel took it with shaking hands. "Is this Noah's?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, and it smells surprisingly heavenly…a bit of man and a bit of musk," Kurt said dreamily. "Of course, I'm a little more partial to Finn…a nice seascape, but you didn't just hear me say that," Kurt said, trying to threaten Rachel.

She just smiled and shook her head. "My lips are sealed, Kurt."

She put on the jacket and buttoned it up all the way. It swamped her, falling all the way to her mid-thigh. It was warm. And Kurt was right. It smelled good. She refrained from breathing in too deeply.

"Well, now, don't you look cute," he said approvingly. Then, there was a knock on the door.

"Be right back, _cherie_," Kurt said. Rachel smiled in return, but as soon as Kurt was gone, she hugged herself and breathed in as deeply as she could.

* * *

"Dude, before I give you these, you better tell me what the heck is going on," Puck said, more irritated than ever.

"Look, I don't know the details, but on her way to lunch, some stupid footballers slushied her. From three sides!" Kurt explained. "Even you weren't that cruel back in your heyday."

Puck couldn't help but feel the sting that accompanied that statement, but then he realized Kurt didn't say it to be hurtful. He was just stating a fact. A fact that Puck was glad had changed.

"Then what happened?" Puck prodded.

"Well, she came in here to shower, and she heard giggling and talking. She said she thought she heard Alyssa, the Cheerio, say that 'this should show her.' And when Rachel came out of the shower, all of her clothes were gone," Kurt said. His eyes shone of real sadness.

Puck's heart squeezed in pain for Rachel. "Well, give her these. I'll be right back," he said, running off toward the cafeteria. Kurt nodded and went back to Rachel.

Puck scanned the cafeteria for Santana. Since Quinn was not on very friendly terms with him, Puck figured it was better to talk to Santana. When he found her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the hallway.

"Hey, now, Puck, I told you before: bad credit equals no hookups," Santana crowed smugly.

"Cut the crap, Santana. I don't know if you were in on it, but some of the Cheerios stole Berry's clothes," Puck said through gritted teeth. He figured now was not the time to call her Rachel. "Now, I'm going to take care of the football players who slushied her in the first place, but I suggest you take care of your little ho bags before I do it for you. Got it?"

"Geez, what is your problem? It's not like a month or two ago you weren't pulling pranks on that freak," Santana snarled.

"Lay off her, Lopez," Puck said, barely holding onto his patience.

"Why do you care anyway?" Santana asked. She wasn't accusing; she sounded like she was actually curious.

Puck sighed and searched for the right way to explain this without explaining too much. "Look, Santana, whether we like it or not, we're all a team now. She is your teammate. Deal with it. Now fix this, San, or I swear you will not like the way I fix it."

"Fine," she said curtly as she stalked off.

Puck headed back to the bathroom. He knocked, and Kurt opened up the door. As he stepped in cautiously, his eyes went straight to Rachel. She was wearing his shorts and they were past her knees. But what drew him in was his letterman jacket all buttoned up. It swallowed her whole, but there was something kind of sexy about that. She looked so small. He just wanted to pull her on his lap and hold her while she cried. But he couldn't do that. Not yet at least. So, he settled for sitting next to her and rubbing her back. She leaned into him as she began sniffling again. That strawberry cupcake scent was there again, and this time Puck couldn't help himself. He leaned his cheek on the top of Rachel's head and he hugged her a little closer.

"I'm sorry, Rach," he whispered.

She sniffled again, but replied, "It's okay. Thanks for letting me wear your jacket."

"Don't mention it," he said.

Suddenly, the door opened, and everyone stiffened. Santana was in the doorway, holding some clothes. "Um, hey, Ru--Rachel, I couldn't find your real clothes, but I had these in my car. Brit and I were going shopping after Cheerios practice." She shrugs and hands them to Rachel.

Rachel looked from the clothes to Santana to Kurt to Puck and back to the clothes. She slowly took them. "Thanks, Santana. That is very kind of you," she said quietly.

Santana nodded at Rachel, then looked at Puck as if to get approval. He nodded too and she left Rachel, Puck, and Kurt in the bathroom.

"Well, Rach," Puck said, breaking through the silence. "I'll let you get changed. Listen, I've got something I need to take care of before we rehearse this afternoon. I'll see you in the auditorium."

"Okay, Noah," she said. "Thank you again." She smiled at him.

Puck returned the smile. He signaled for Kurt to take care of Rachel and then left.

Right now, he had some football players to find.

**AN2: Thanks for reading! Remember, R&R = Love! ;o)**


	6. Karaoke Superstar

**AN: Can I just say something? You guys rock! Thanks for everything! Oh, in case you couldn't tell, I don't own Glee or the songs I use in this chapter. Again, please R&R! (pretty, pretty please!) ;o)**

_**

* * *

  
Chapter 6: Karaoke Superstar**_

"You're late," Rachel said solemnly when Puck came into the auditorium at3:54.

"Are you kidding me?" Puck asked incredulously.

He tossed his bag on the stage with a little more force than necessary. Was she serious? He _told_ her he was going to be late. He blackened eyes and bloodied noses for her, and she's dogging him for being late? Well, the next time she can just fight her own battles…

"I was only kidding, Noah," she said hesitantly but with a smile. He scowled in return.

"Noah, did you hear me? I said I was kidding," Rachel explained.

"I heard you," Noah said shortly.

He wasn't really upset at her; he was just in a bad mood. After he caught up with Tim, Reid, and James and gave them what they had coming, he ran into Quinn. All he did was ask about the baby, and she basically ignored him. It angered him to no end how Quinn could be such a child about their baby, no pun intended. He was tired of her calling him a Lima loser and always claiming Finn was going to be a better father than Puck could ever be. Blah blah blah. It made him sick.

"Noah," Rachel tried. "I am sorry for teasing you. I thought…"

"You thought wrong," Puck cut her off, in no mood for joking.

He had turned to glare at her, but instead he took that moment to finally look at Rachel's face. Her eyes were conflicted. They were curious, and he could tell she wanted to ask what was wrong. They were also sad, and he knew that she was thinking that they had made progress today as friends. He had thought that too, but he seemed to always be screwing it up with this temper of his. He sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," he apologized, looking down at his hands. "I am just a little stressed. I'm really in not in the mood for rehearsing today."

"That's all right, Noah, I'm sure we can make it up in the coming weeks. I have been able to tell how dedicated you've been lately," she stated. She paused. "To be perfectly honest, I'm in no mood to rehearse either."

Noah thought about all that had happened to her today. No wonder she didn't want to rehearse. He looked back at her once more, and this time he noticed something else: she was wearing pants. Oh, that's right, he thought, she's wearing Santana's clothes. His breath hitched in his throat. And boy, did she look good.

Santana's dark washed skinny jeans fit her like a freaking glove although they were a little long on Rachel. She had them cuffed with her shiny ballet flats. The top was a pale pink with puffed sleeves that flowed out with an asymmetrical hem. Puck was pretty sure it was a lower cut than Rachel would normally be comfortable with, and it had a ribbon that tied right under her chest, not that she needed anything to accentuate her, um, nice assets. He knew lots of girls who liked those kinds of shirts, umpire waist or something, he couldn't quite remember what his sister called it. Whatever it was, it hugged Rachel's curves in the right places.

With her usual short skirts and knee highs, Rachel had the naughty school girl thing going on, which Puck never complained about. But, like this, she looked more feminine. She looked beautiful. He urged himself not to stare or at least not stare with his jaw dropped. Too late. She noticed him watching her. She met his eyes with slight hesitation. He needed to say something.

"Um, so, you look good, Berry," Puck spoke up. Yeah, that was totally _not_ smooth.

Rachel didn't seem to mind. She giggled and Puck had to chuckle too.

"You've probably never seen me in pants," she laughed.

"Jeans suit you. You definitely have the legs for them," he said easily.

Puck mentally kicked himself for sounding like a horny teenage boy (which he was, but he didn't need to keep reminding her of that). He braced himself, expecting a lecture from Rachel about the treatment of females of objects.

To his surprise, she laughs out loud. "Well, thank you, Noah," she said smiling and shaking her head.

"Hey, you wanna get out of here?" Puck asked suddenly.

"Yeah," Rachel said with no uncertainty.

Puck grabbed Rachel's hand, ignored the spark it produced, and pulled her toward the school's exit.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked, eyes fixated on their intertwined hands. She was blushing but she hoped Puck wouldn't notice.

"You'll see," Puck said with a smirk, glancing down at her.

They reached the parking lot, and Puck realized he didn't see Rachel's Prius.

"Where's your car?" he asked.

"Oh, Daddy took it for an oil exchange," Rachel responded. "He was going to pick me up after rehearsal."

Now that made Puck laugh outright.

"Oil exchange, huh?" he teased. "Well, come on, Berry. We can go in my truck, and I'll take you home after."

They reached Puck's truck, and it only took Rachel two tries to get up in the rig. Puck couldn't help but laugh at her, and since she refused any help, there wasn't much he could do. When Rachel finally got settled, she texted her fathers and said she'd be home later.

"Now will you tell me where we're going?" Rachel asked for what seemed like the eighth time.

"No, Crazy," Puck teased, "just let me surprise you."

Rachel huffed in her seat. But Puck spied a smile turning up the corners of her mouth. He smiled then and turned on the radio. The sounds of Kings of Leon filled the speakers.

_I've been roaming around, I was looking down at all I see  
Painted faces fill the places I can't reach  
You know that I could use somebody  
You know that I could use somebody_

_Someone like you and all you know and how you speak  
Countless lovers under cover of the street  
You know that I could use somebody  
You know that I could use somebody  
Someone like you_

Rachel loved this song, but it did more funny things to her heart. She squeezed her eyes shut as she let the words resonate with her. She really could use somebody, someone to love and understand her. Actually, sometimes, what she really wanted was just somebody to be her friend. Her heart did a flip flop when Puck started to hum; he had changed so much in such a short time.

_Off in the night while you live it up I'm off to sleep  
Waging wars to shake the poet and the beat  
I hope it's gonna make you notice  
I hope it's gonna make you notice_

_Someone like me, someone like me  
Someone like me, somebody_

Suddenly, the music shut off. Rachel's eyes flew open. What happened to the music? She looked at Puck with question in her eyes.

"Why did you turn it off?" she asked.

"You looked almost in pain; I thought you maybe didn't like it," Puck explained.

"Oh. It just makes, I don't know. I do like it though. I didn't know my face looked like that," she finished lamely. "You can turn it on again if you want." She smiled slightly.

Puck nodded in return, but he turned the song back on so it played softly in the background. He heard Rachel sigh. The truth was he turned it off because he didn't like what the song made him think and feel. Just like every other song on the radio, "Use Somebody" reminded him of Rachel. Thankfully, they pulled in to their destination.

"Miles's Bar?" Rachel asked skeptically. "You do realize we're underage?"

"Relax, Berry," Puck answered. "It's not a real bar. It's got karaoke every Friday night."

"Oh," Rachel said sheepishly. "You really want to do karaoke?" she asked, amused.

"Of course! Come on, it'll take our minds off of everything for awhile," Puck said. He grabbed her hand once more and led her inside.

* * *

"Hey, Puck, man! How's it going?" a burly man from behind the bar yelled as they walked in.

"How does he know you?" Rachel whispered, instinctively shifting closer to Puck's side.

Puck placed his hand on the small of Rachel's back as they made their way to a table.

"April Rhodes brought me, Mike, and Matt here one or two times," Puck shrugged.

Rachel didn't like the sinking feeling in her stomach when Puck mentioned that blonde drunk has-been. She tried to act like it didn't bother her.

"Hmph," she scoffed. "She probably bought you guys beer or something.

"Nah, I bought my own," Puck teased, winking down at her. A faint blush painted Rachel's cheeks once more. Gosh, he loved seeing that.

"So you ready to get smacked down, Berry?" Puck taunted.

"Oh, I don't think so, Noah," Rachel replied. "I'm quite capable of holding my own in this place of establishment. Why, I bet most of these people in here don't have a quarter of the training I have."

Puck raised his eyebrows at her. "Well, we'll just have to see about that. Remember, _I_ am going to be singing too."

Rachel patted his arm to placate him. "I'm sure I can handle you too, Noah," she said.

"That's what you think, honey," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her. There came that blush again.

"All right," she said, rising to the challenge. "You just go first then, if you think you're so tough."

"Fine, then," Puck said, getting up from the table. "This one's for you, Berry."

Rachel settled in her seat as Puck made his way to the front. He didn't even bother to look at the catalog of songs. He whispered to the man behind the stereo, winked at Rachel, and strutted up to the microphone. When the first notes of the song started, Rachel knew she was in for a treat.

_On the day I was born, the nurses all gathered 'round  
And they gazed in wide wonder, at the joy they had found  
The head nurse spoke up, and she said leave this one alone  
She could tell right away, that I was bad to the bone  
Bad to the bone  
Bad to the bone  
B-B-B-B-Bad to the bone  
B-B-B-B-Bad  
B-B-B-B-Bad  
Bad to the bone  
_

Rachel had to laugh at Puck's flirty antics with the females in the crowd. He would wink at the older ladies and smirk at the young waitresses. They were eating it up.

_I broke a thousand hearts, before I met you  
I'll break a thousand more baby, before I am through  
I wanna be yours pretty baby, yours and yours alone  
I'm here to tell ya honey, that I'm bad to the bone  
Bad to the bone  
B-B-B-Bad  
B-B-B-Bad  
B-B-B-Bad  
Bad to the bone_

_I make a rich woman beg, I'll make a good woman steal  
I'll make an old woman blush, and make a young woman squeal  
I wanna be yours pretty baby, yours and yours alone  
I'm here to tell ya honey, that I'm bad to the bone  
B-B-B-B-Bad  
B-B-B-B-Bad  
B-B-B-B-Bad  
Bad to the bone_

Rachel was sure her jaw was scraping the floor when Puck smugly made his way back to the table.

"Beat that, Princess," he said as he slid down in his seat.

Rachel would not back down from a challenge. She stood up and bent down so that she was looking Puck right in the face. Puck had to will himself to look at her face and not down at her…other nice parts.

"Gladly," she said as she smiled flirtingly and patted his cheek.

Rachel had no idea what came over her, but she didn't let on that she was just as surprised at herself as Puck was. Being this close to him, she inhaled his cologne. It pervaded her senses and was now doing funny things to her heart ... and her confidence.

Puck had no idea what had come over her, but he kind of liked this Rachel. She was flirty and carefree and way hot. She was so close to him that he had all he could do not to grab her by the hips and set her down on his lap. But, he kept his hands to himself.

He watched as she walked up confidently to the man with the catalog. She sat down, and he knew she expected to have this little competition in the bag. However, soon enough the look of confidence dissipated from her face. She looked up to see Puck smirking over her. He leaned over to whisper close to her ear.

"What's wrong, superstar?" he whispered.

"There are no show tunes in this repertoire," Rachel hissed.

Puck laughed, "Are you backing out of the challenge?"

"No. I'm just going to have to rethink my strategy," she concluded.

As her brow furrowed over the song list, Puck watched her closely. She stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. He chuckled to himself. Who would have thought someone he previously thought to be a freak could become so dear to him in such a short time? He hadn't interacted with her on a personal level as much as he'd like to yet, but he'd noticed her changes, even in Glee club. He still thought she talked too much most times, but she was learning to reel herself in. Working together on this duet was even kind of fun. She was still a diva sometimes, but he didn't take any of her crap. Then again, she didn't take his either. Puck shook his head again and smiled to himself. Funny how life worked sometimes. Just as he thought about it more, Rachel gave her choice to the man, tossed her hair, and flashed a grin at Puck. He winked at her, and she blushed.

Puck couldn't wait to see what she'd cooked up. She caught his eye once he had sat down and mouthed him a message. She pointed to him and then to the ground as if to say, "This is for you. You're going down."

Puck continued to laugh but stopped as soon as song started and she prepared to sing. It wouldn't have mattered if it had been some crazy 70s song or redneck country tune, Rachel would have made it sound breathtaking. She just had that kind of talent. Suddenly, he realized why he recognized the tune, and he had to bite his tongue not to laugh again. Yep, this song was definitely for him.

_Your love is like a tidal wave, spinning over my head  
Drownin' me in your promises, better left unsaid  
You're the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasy  
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be_

You're a heartbreaker  
dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me!  
You're a heartbreaker  
dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around – No no no!

_Your love has set my soul on fire, burnin' out of control  
You taught me the ways of desire, now it's takin' its toll  
You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy  
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be  
_

_You're a heartbreaker  
dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me!  
You're a heartbreaker  
dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around – No no no!  
_

Rachel put on her best "rocker chick" face and totally sold it. She was banging her head and swishing her hair during the musical interlude. She was being so sexy when she raked her fingers through her hair and didn't even realize it. Puck was amazed.

_  
You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy  
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be_

You're a heartbreaker  
dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me

On the slow crescendo of that chorus, Rachel stalked toward Puck with a flirty glint in her eye. He gulped visibly as the crowd cheered her on. Then, right as she was right in front of him, she flung her hair around and began to saunter back to the small stage, winking over her shoulder. Once again, Puck was amazed.

_You're a heartbreaker  
dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me!  
You're a heartbreaker  
dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me!  
You're a heartbreaker  
dream maker, love taker  
Heartbreaker!_

Rachel ended her song with her hand thrown up in the air, and her head thrown back, just like she'd seen on TV before. Wow, singing for a reason other than Glee or further career development could be exhilarating.

* * *

Throughout the song, in between the parts where he was stunned by her, Puck had this sinking feeling that that was what she truly felt about him. He really wanted to talk about it with her. He wanted her to give him a chance. He _needed_ her to give him a chance to be a friend.

When she was finished, Rachel was given a standing ovation by all the regulars. She took it in stride and made her way back to the table. The smile that stretched across her whole face was contagious.

"Well?" she prodded.

Puck didn't think he'd ever laughed as much as he had tonight.

"You did good, Berry," he laughed. "But then again, you always do. You ready to get outta here?"

"Sure," she said. "It's getting late, and I have a million and one things to do tomorrow."

Puck rolled his eyes playfully as they walked out to the parking lot. "Rach, tomorrow is Saturday. Don't you just ever take a day to relax?"

"Certainly, but a rising star like myself must continually better herself through lessons and strict regiments. I have voice lessons and dance classes and–"

"Voice lessons? Well, those are a waste of money; your voice is perfect," Puck interrupted.

Rachel looked at him in surprise. It took her a second to recover, and a smile spread over her face.

"Well, thank you, Noah. That is kind of you to say," she replied. She smiled at him as he opened the door for her to get in the truck.

They made small talk on the way to her house, and Puck couldn't help but think how natural it felt being with her. What he didn't know was that Rachel was thinking the same thing.

* * *

Puck pulled up to a dark house, and said, "Are you sure your dads are home?"

"Oh, it's Friday. I bet they're over at the Johnsons' playing bridge," Rachel said, gathering her things and getting out of the truck.

Puck walked her to the front door, but once he was there, he didn't quite know what to do. The moonlight made Rachel's eyes sparkle more than usual, and he was just content to watch her. So, he lingered until she said something.

Rachel had never been on a date before, and even though she knew this wasn't a date, she didn't know how to respond when a boy walked her to the door. So, she shifted on her feet awkwardly until she thought of something to say.

"Thank you, Noah, for everything you did for me today," she said sweetly. "It was quite chivalrous of you this afternoon and very thoughtful this evening. So thank you."

"No problem, Rachel," Puck said seriously.

Then, he smiled at her one of those genuine smiles that Rachel rarely saw. She decided then that she could get used to seeing it.

"I guess I'll see you Monday," Puck whispered.

"Good night, Noah," Rachel said softly.

With that, Puck hopped down the steps, and Rachel shut the front door. As he walked back to his truck, Puck realized he couldn't let the opportunity to really talk to Rachel pass. He bounded back up the steps and knocked on the door. Rachel opened quickly with a look of surprise.

"Did you really mean what you sang tonight?" Puck asked frantically, leaning on the doorframe.

"What are you talking about, Noah?" Rachel countered.

"Is what you sang about how you really think of me? As some heartbreaker, no good guy, that I should stay away from you?"

Puck looked so hurt and ashamed that Rachel really wasn't sure what to say. She decided on the truth.

"I'm not sure what to think of you anymore," Rachel said quietly. "One second you are sweet and caring, but then, it's like you realize you're becoming a human and you revert back into your Puck shell. I know it's a façade, I do. I like what I see in Noah, but you can't keep going back and forth."

Puck wasn't sure what he expected her to say, but he felt some hope in her answer. He sighed, frustrated with himself.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Puck began. "I know I haven't ever treated you right, and I know I'm probably giving you whiplash. It's like sometimes I feel like a split person too. But I need to apologize for everything I did to you in the past. I see you differently now," he paused to take a deep breath, "as someone I am beginning to really care about. That's how I see you now. So, I wanted to ask you: could you possibly see me as Noah now?"

He took another deep breath. This was more than he'd said to anyone in a long time, and he needed to get it all out.

"I know I've screwed up," he continued. "But, if you'll let me, I want to make it up to you. I can't promise I'll be perfect or even change immediately, but I sure am gonna try."

When he finished, he was spent. He told Rachel everything he wanted to say, and now he was at her mercy.

"Thank you for apologizing, Noah," Rachel started. "I'm glad to know you see me differently. I'm starting to see you differently too." She smiled slightly, and Puck felt another surge of hope.

"Can I think about what you've said to me over this weekend? And we can talk on Monday?" she asked suddenly.

To that response, Puck gave her the biggest smile she'd ever seen him give. It filled her heart with a sort of warmth that spread throughout her body. Then, Rachel leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek and smiled into his eyes.

"Good night again, Noah," she said with a giggle.

"Night, Rach," he said softly.

Rachel leaned on the doorjamb, watching as Puck left with a smile on his face. Before he got in the truck, he paused. She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw him absently lift his hand to the cheek she had kissed. She smiled to herself. Rachel sighed as she closed the door and leaned against it. She took a deep breath as she heard Puck's truck finally start and drive away. Oh, what was she getting herself into?

* * *

**AN2: I have been tweaking this chapter forever, and I think I'm finally satisfied! Ha, not likely!! A writer's work is never finished! Hehehhe! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Remember, R&R = Love :o)**

**AN3: Songs used in this chapter: "Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon), "Bad to the Bone" ****(****George Thorogood and the Destroyers), and "Heartbreaker" (Pat Benatar)**


	7. Follow Through

**AN: Once again, your support and feedback has been amazing! I could not ask for more (except maybe more reviews! ;) lol okay I'm only half-kidding! Haha!) Anyway, you guys rock! Please R&R! :o)**

**Oh, the "video" in this chapter is notated by asterisks (***) and the flashback is in **_italics_ **not to be confused with the written notes which I realize are also in** _italics_**. Hopefully, it won't be confusing. **

**p.s. if you're interested in my thoughts on "Sectionals," they're at the end! **

* * *

_**Chapter 7: Follow Through **_

Puck walked into school early Monday morning filled with determination. He hoped he explained himself well enough on Friday night. He wanted to be Rachel's friend; maybe if it grew into something more, that'd be good, but at this moment he would just be happy if she'd agree to be his friend.

He smiled to himself when he thought about the time they'd get to spend together working on this song. He had to admit he wouldn't mind hanging out more with her. Then, he frowned to himself. But, he still needed to earn her trust back. He had to show Rachel he was serious. He had to prove this wasn't some game to him.

That's why he hoped she had given it good thought this weekend. He smiled again. Knowing Rachel, she'd probably made some pro and con list about their growing potential friendship. He just hoped he had would have enough time to tip the odds in his favor. He thought to himself: if she would just give him a chance.

* * *

Rachel walked into school early Monday morning filled with consideration. She thought about what Noah had said all weekend. She couldn't believe the change that had taken place in him. And, being the talented and trained individual she was, she was able to spot the fact that he was not acting. He had indeed grown up right before her eyes.

She didn't know exactly how she felt about him. She wasn't even sure if she _liked him_ liked him. She giggled to herself, how silly she sounded even to her own ears. She had thought she'd been "in love" with Finn, but she quickly found _that_ feeling to be some childish infatuation. But with Noah, it was different. Noah intrigued her. All she knew was that after all that had gone on between them in the past, she believed he had changed.

She had come to her decision fairly early in the weekend. She may have been unsure of what she had been feeling for Puck throughout Friday evening and every other time they'd spent together recently; however, when Puck openly smiled at her in response, all prior confusion about her feelings melted away, and she knew exactly what her decision would be. She didn't need to waste time on a pro and con list like she usually made for informed decisions. This time, she was going to go with what her heart told her. Rachel would try to be his friend. She would give him a chance.

* * *

Puck noticed Rachel's Prius in the parking lot when he had gotten to school. He came early in hopes they could talk. On his way to his locker, he peeked in the Glee room where he knew she warmed up her voice. She wasn't there. Puck found it odd, but decided to go to his locker and then find Rachel.

When he opened his locker, a note fell out and landed at his feet. He recognized Rachel's neat script on the outside. Puck felt his heart stop in his chest. He opened the note slowly and read what she wrote.

_Dear Noah_, she'd written, _I'm not terribly good with words and talking_. Puck had to laugh at that because she's better at words than anyone he knew, including most adults. He continued reading: _I express myself through music, and since you'd probably find it funny if I chose to serenade you, I feel it's just best to tell you what I'm feeling through the song lyrics._

_So, since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say  
And I, all I really want is you,  
You to stick around  
I'll see you everyday  
But you have to follow through  
_

_Oh, this is the start of something good  
__Don't you agree?_

_I'll see you later today,  
__Rachel_

And she added a smiley face at the end for good measure. Puck smiled and read it over again. Something filled in his chest, and he wondered if this was what the beginning of true happiness felt like. He knew he was early for school so instead of finding Rachel, he left and came back with a secret weapon. This was his chance. And he was going to follow through.

* * *

Rachel headed back into the Glee room twenty minutes later with the new sheet music she had been copying in the library. And there, sitting on the piano was a latte and cheese Danish. She was looking around to see whose it was when she saw a note sitting on the piano as well. She opened it to see Puck's scrawling:

_Sorry it's not the breakfast of champions. See you at lunch. __–NP_

Rachel smiled as she realized he must've gotten her note as well. She had been worried that he would read the lyrics and get the wrong idea that she was being forward or that she assumed things that might not be true. But it seemed to her that he understood perfectly.

Then she felt that familiar feeling. The butterflies in her stomach had been making their appearance when Noah was around, but this is the first time they'd shown up in anticipation. She wondered what it meant but only knew one thing for sure. For the first time in awhile, Rachel Berry was actually excited for lunchtime to roll around.

* * *

Rachel could barely sit still during Spanish class. She kept fidgeting and watching the clock. Mr. Schuester kept looking at her funny, but when he asked her how to conjugate the verb _tener_ in the past tense, she gave him the correct answer so he dismissed it. However, Rachel knew she better not press her luck and paid closer attention. Stop it, Rachel, she thought to herself, you are acting like a silly schoolgirl with a crush.

This line of thinking made her stop in her tracks. Why was she so excited to see Noah? She never even got this enthused at the prospects of seeing Finn. Maybe it was because deep down she knew Finn could never reciprocate her feelings toward her. Well, whatever it was, Rachel knew she couldn't get ahead of herself. She knew Noah was changing, but he had said he wanted to be her _friend_. He said he was beginning to care about her, but that didn't mean he wanted more than a friendship with her.

"Slow down, heart," she said to herself. "Don't get ahead of yourself or you'll get hurt."

* * *

Puck wondered if Rachel had gotten her breakfast. He knew it was a little cheesy and over the top, but he figured he needed to work a little overtime to make up for his past. After all, Rachel had been kind enough to forgive him so far.

He tapped his pen to his desk impatiently. He had to get through chemistry and then he could go to lunch with Rachel and the other Glee kids. He needed to talk to Rachel, so they could get everything out in the open. Puck knew he was walking a fine line. He wanted Rachel to be his friend, but he didn't want her thinking he was playing a game. He meant well; he just hoped his intentions came across all right.

"Slow down, head," he said to himself. "Don't think so much or you'll start to hurt."

* * *

Rachel walked hurriedly through the hallways to lunch. She had stopped in the bathroom to give her lips an extra sheen of gloss, not that she was trying to impress Noah or anyone. She was just always taught to present herself neatly.

But, now she was walking the hallways alone. That's when she saw them: Tim, Reid, and James. She tensed up, worried for what was to come. But as they neared her, she noticed they didn't have slushies with them.

In fact, as she inspected them, she found them sporting identical shiners on their right eyes. Looking even closer, she noticed that Tim had a bandage on his jaw, Reid had two of his fingers splinted, and James walked with a slight limp. She was horrified, thinking they had gotten into some accident. However, she was too scared to ask if they were okay. So, instead, when they sent glares her way, she hurried to lunch.

She practically flew to her seat beside Kurt. She wanted to compose herself before she saw Noah.

"Why hello, dear," Kurt cooed. "You seem a little flustered. What's wrong, love?"

"I'm not sure. I just saw the football players who slushied me Friday," Rachel said, shivered unconsciously. "They looked like they'd gotten into a scuffle of some sort."

Kurt's eyes lit up. "Do you think Puck beat them up for you?" he asked excitedly.

"No, of course not," Rachel replied. "Noah knows I abhor acts of violence, and although it would've been under the guise of defending my honor of some sort, I don't think Noah cares enough to do something like that for me."

Kurt looked at Rachel with skepticism in his eyes. He knew perfectly well what he saw in Puck's eyes on Friday, and that was concern, care, and perhaps even attraction for Rachel. He wouldn't put it past Puck to beat those buffoons up for Rachel.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Mercedes squealed as she, Tina, and Artie sat down at the lunch table. "Did you see Jacob's newest vlog?"

"Vlog?" Rachel questioned.

"V-v-video blog," Tina filled in.

"Anyway, it is too awesome. Check it out!" Mercedes said, as she thrust her iPhone into Rachel's hands. Kurt leaned in to see the screen.

******

"This is Jacob Ben-Israel reporting to you on the school grounds of William McKinley High School where I have just been tipped off anonymously that three of our own football players have been apprehended and humiliated. The culprits to this act of sheer genius are unknown."

Then, he pans his camera out to show Tim hanging on the flagpole, having just received a patriotic wedgie, and Reid and James duct taped to the bottom of the pole, with signs on them that say "Ask us to serenade you."

Jacob runs up to them and does just that. Reid and James groan, but proceed to sing "Sweet Caroline" at the top of their lungs, with Tim echoing "so good, so good, so good!" from his place at the top.

"As you can see, karma has obviously come around and bit these football players in their butts. And not a moment too soon, in my opinion. Until next time, I'm Jacob Ben-Israel."

******

Rachel slowly set the phone down and looked at Kurt. He stared back in shock. Neither was able to speak until Puck made his way to the Glee table.

"Hey guys," he started. Then, he noticeed something was off. "What's going on? Everyone looks a little nervous."

"We just watched Jacob Ben-Israel's new vlog. It seems that Rachel and Kurt are in a bit of shock from the events," Artie said, once again sliding a Twinkie across the table.

Puck swallowed hard as his gaze darted among those sitting at the table. He technically didn't take part in the little prank, but he did instigate it. See, Matt and Mike had come up on him while he was handing out beatings, and he told them what happened.

"_Someone slushied Berry?" Matt had asked incredulously. _

"_That's our girl, man! She's our ticket to Regionals. Nobody messes with Berry!" Mike had said. _

_Puck had smiled, glad they understood his actions. _

"_Hey, why don't you let us take care of them from here?" Matt had asked, getting a sneaky gleam in his eyes. _

_Puck liked his thinking. "Okay, and if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then I think I'll pay a little visit to that Jew-fro kid so it can be documented," he had said._

"_Right on!" Mike had said. _

_And that was that. _

"Noah?" Rachel's voice suddenly broke through his thoughts.

"Huh?"

Puck looked around quickly to see everyone looking at him. Tina and Artie were eyeing him suspiciously, Mercedes was barely containing a laugh, Kurt's one eyebrow was raised in question, and Rachel just looked confused.

"What did you say?" he asked sheepishly.

"Noah, I don't want the football team to be divided over some silly slushie incident," Rachel said quietly.

Puck began to fidget. She laid her hand gently on his arm. The whole table noticed the placement of Rachel's hand, and they stared at it in surprise until Rachel herself noticed and casually removed it. She glanced up at Puck who gave nothing away on his face. But, Puck immediately missed the warmth that it had produced against his skin.

"Please tell that video had nothing to do with my being slushied on Friday and that you weren't involved in a fatuous attempt at revenge."

Puck thought about how to answer that. There was really no good way to answer without Berry getting mad at him, so he just unwrapped his Twinkie and stuffed it in his mouth all at once.

"Hrrn ddnn wrrr nghn," he mumbled, displaying a look of innocence paired with a weak smile.

The whole table laughed; even Rachel shook her head and giggled.

"Nice save, you crazy white boy," Mercedes quipped.

Puck smirked as he continued to swallow the Hostess snack. Rachel looked at him sternly. He looked back, daring her to challenge him. Then, slowly, she smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered for his ears only.

Puck winked at her in return, to which she blushed, another exchange that didn't go unnoticed by the other members of the table.

They all spent the rest of lunch chattering about Glee and their upcoming duets. Puck was glad he decided to sit with Rachel and the rest of the gang. They were pretty cool, and they accepted him for who he was, even if it did get a little disconcerting when he found one of them staring at him as though the wheels in their heads were turning.

Every once in awhile Rachel would feel Noah looking at her, but she was afraid to look because she didn't want to blush and give too much away in front of the other Glee kids. They would never let her hear the end of it, and she didn't even know if there was an "it" in the first place.

As they were leaving the lunchroom, Rachel and Noah saw the three Cheerios who had stolen Rachel's clothes. She stiffened beside him, but she noticed something about them. They were crying.

"What's wrong with them?" she wondered aloud.

Just then, Santana came up beside them. "Oh, I don't know. Coach Sylvester took away their tanning and hair salon privileges for the rest of the year, and they act like it's the freakin' end of the world."

"Why did she do that?" Rachel asked.

Santana shrugged nonchalantly. "I have _no_ idea," she said emphatically, which made Puck spit out the water he was drinking in laughter.

Santana looked pointedly at him, and he sent her a message with his smirk that told her he was impressed. She rolled her eyes playfully and bounced off to find Brittany.

Rachel did not seem to understand the whole exchange or the weight of Santana's words so Puck led her to class without another mention of it.

* * *

The weeks that followed were easy and comfortable. Sometimes, Puck would walk Rachel to class. He actually enjoyed walking with Rachel, hearing her drone on about the latest Broadway show that had caught her attention. It made him smile to know that she was becoming more relaxed with him. They were slowly becoming good friends, but he kept his extra feelings at bay. He didn't even mind the odd stares that usually accompanied their walks down the hall. The only time he felt defiant was when Quinn saw them one day and had the audacity to look jealous. What was her problem? He couldn't deal with her giving him glares that said she was upset he was hanging out with Rachel. Quinn didn't want Puck; she always chose Finn. That wasn't fair; she couldn't have them both.

Sometimes, Puck would sit with Rachel and the other Glee kids at lunch. He would steal her carrot sticks, and she would scrunch her nose and give him a side smile that gave him the urge to kiss her every time she did it. Then she would jokingly swat at him, and they would always end up laughing. The other Glee kids watched in amazement at the changes taking place in front of their very eyes, but they never said anything. Puck didn't always sit with them though. Rachel figured he still had his BA reputation to uphold so it didn't bother her when he sat with the other football players and Cheerios. She knew they were becoming good friends, but sometimes she had to scold her heart when it longed for something more. It made her smile when she would casually glance over to his table and found that he was looking at her. He would wink, and she would blush and turn back to her lunch. The only time she felt frustrated was when Finn caught their little exchange in the lunchroom. He gave her a confused, almost hurt, look. What was his problem? He surely didn't have the right to be hurt by her friendship with Noah. Finn had made it clear he would always pick Quinn over her. That wasn't fair; he couldn't have them both.

* * *

Their rehearsals were a kind of ritual as well. He would bring two Fruit-by-the-Foots, one for each of them. He would stuff his all in his mouth after tearing the paper off; she would eat hers bit by bit, savoring each bite. He always teased her for being so prissy, but she always laughed at him when he complained that his was all gone and he tried to steal some of hers. Then they would smile at each other, and Rachel would give him half of hers. They would spend their time talking, laughing, and debating popular issues ranging from whether or not Coach Tanaka and Miss Pillsbury would really get married to what songs they'd sing at Sectionals to Puck's favorite topic (if Cheerios Josie Nedders and Maria Sanchez got boob jobs) to Rachel's favorite topic (who played the best Wendla in "Spring Awakening"). Then, they would sing.

They were ready for their duet long before the time Mr. Schue had said they would perform. However, Rachel was a stickler and a perfectionist. So, they always found something to work on. They would bicker playfully over the choreography until they came to a compromise. They would debate whether Puck should play the guitar or not. Theirs was an equal partnership. Until the issue of costumes came up. Puck had to put his foot down when it came to bedazzled costumes.

"I am _not _going to wear a cowboy hat with rhinestones," he cried.

"Why not?" she asked. "Glen Campbell had no problems with it, and his song about it became a big hit." She smiled cheekily.

"No, no, no, and did I mention no?" Puck argued.

"But Mr. Schue said we needed costumes," Rachel pouted. She puckered out her bottom lip and threw on her puppy dog eyes for good measure.

Puck had to bite his lip from laughing at her. She looked so freaking adorable like that; he was tempted to give her anything she wanted, anything but rhinestone costumes.

"Sorry, Rach, not gonna happen," he said as he shook his head, smiling.

Rachel scrunched her nose in mock disgust. "Fine, we will be responsible for our own costumes, but I say we both need cowboy boots, plaid shirts, and you need a hat."

"Okay, I will get that, but my hat will not have jewels," he conceded.

Puck rolled his eyes. He looked at her smiling in triumph and wondered if Rachel felt anything for him the way he did for her. His feelings for her were growing daily, but he was too afraid to say anything, worried that he would screw up a good friendship.

Rachel watched him roll his eyes, but she smiled in triumph. It was moments like these that Rachel truly loved about their new friendship. She thought she really might like Noah, but right now, there was no reason to ruin this wonderful thing they had with potential "What ifs?"

* * *

**AN2: Song used in the note: "Follow Through" (Gavin Degraw)**

**AN3: Okay, my thoughts on "Sectionals": FREAKIN' EPIC! Seriously, I was blown away from the first second. They killed their songs at Sectionals! And I loved how their song at the end had little throwbacks to their routines throughout the season so far! Very cute idea! Oh, and the Puck/Rachel **_**look**_** at the beginning? Amazing (even if it was sad circumstances). Santana pleasantly surprised me (I knew I wrote her with a heart for a reason. Lol) And the end with Will and Emma? I seriously woohoo-ed out loud. In my living room. Alone. Yeah, I'm a Gleek. It was just so awesome!*sigh* Okay, I will try to stop gushing now. **

**Remember, R&R = Love :o)**


	8. Catch Me

**AN: Once again, I am in awe of ya'll's awesomeness! Thank you so much! I am pretty sure that it's obvious I own nothing, like the show or the songs used in this chapter. I hope it's clear enough who is singing when the girls do their song. It's denoted who has what solo part (which is in plain **_italics_**) and the together part is in _bold italics_. Oh, and please R&R :o)**

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter 8: Catch Me

Today was the day. Puck decided on the way to school that he was going to tell Rachel about his feelings. He felt like such a girl for waiting this long, and now it was time to man up. He just had to wait until after school though. Okay, so he said he was going to man up, but no use risking looking like an idiot the whole day if she rejected him, right?

He shouldered his bag as he entered the school. From down the hall he saw her. Heck, he could spot those legs anywhere. She was bent over a book, probably over-preparing for a class, he smirked to himself. He made his way to her, and when she saw him approach, she got a wide smile on her face. He made a mental note that that was probably a good sign.

"Good morning, Noah," she said brightly, kneeling down to put her notebook in her bag.

"Happy hump day, Berry," he replied.

Rachel's head flew up and her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"What did you just say?" she hissed.

Puck chuckled as he realized she must not use that term very often. He bent low to whisper in her ear. Rachel's breath hitched at the close contact. He smiled.

"Hump day is Wednesday, Rach. You know, the hump to get over the rest of the week?" he stood upright in time to see her cheeks flush a deep shade of crimson. Once again, he thought it made her even more beautiful.

"Oh," she whispered. "I thought…well, it doesn't matter what I thought. It seems I am unaware of the slang terminology used by the younger generation these days. My daddy says I have an old soul."

Puck rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so you've said, one or eighty times. Oh, which one?" he asked holding up a clear pastry bag with a glazed donut and a bear claw inside.

"The bear claw, of course," she smiled, reaching in for it, but she stopped short at seeing him pout. "Did you want it? Because I can–"

"I'm kidding, Berry," he teased. "Besides, I already had one on the way here," he whispered conspiratorially. He winked at her and headed toward his first class. "See you later in Glee," he called over his shoulder.

Rachel watched him go, taking in his I'm-too-cool-for-school strut. Her eyes roamed his well defined shoulder and back muscles. He high fived some football players as he ducked into his first class. She smiled to herself. People loved Puck. Well, they feared him too, but that was beside the point. He was also so good looking it was criminal. But it was even more than that. He was sweet and funny, and he was so different than the Puck that used to torment her.

If she allowed herself to be perfectly honest, she'd say she really liked Noah Puckerman. And it was time he knew it. Rachel made a resolve in herself just then. Today she would tell him how she felt.

* * *

Rachel was early for Glee, as always. She was finishing up some notes on her latest batch of sheet music when Finn and Quinn came in. Finn smiled at her, and she smiled back, and surprisingly she didn't feel that pang in her heart she usually felt when she saw him with Quinn. She wondered to herself when it must have disappeared. Probably around the time that Noah started taking up that space, she thought to herself. She smiled again, this time to no one in particular.

She didn't linger on the thought too much, for the rest of the students and Mr. Schue came in. Puck didn't sit next to her; he liked sitting in the back. He said it was because he figured Mr. Schue wouldn't make him sing a solo that way. She wished he would put a little more faith in his talents, but she never pushed him.

"Okay, guys, listen up," Mr. Schue gathered their attentions. "I hope you are all ready for your duets on Friday. I know you will be fantastic. Let's do a little something fun today. Ladies, how about that song I gave to you a week or so ago?"

Rachel smiled. She enjoyed this song, even if she didn't have the lead. Actually, all the girls had equal singing parts. Quinn, Santana, and Brittany giggled as they made their way to the front of the room. The girls assembled themselves in their places.

Rachel took the lead and cued Brad and the rest of the band. She smiled widely at the boys, who looked excited to see what the girls had cooked up. She saved her brightest smile for Puck, who nodded in encouragement.

**Tina  
**_You wanna know more, more, more about me?  
I'm the girl who's kicking the coke machine _

**Quinn**  
_I'm the one that's honking at you  
__cuz I left late again_

That made the boys laugh because everyone knew Quinn had a lead foot. She was quite the speed demon though she would never admit it.

_**Hey!  
**__**Hey!  
**__**Hey!  
**__**Can't you see I want you by the way I push you away, Yeah!  
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today  
Mix the words up with the actions do it all for your reaction, Yeah!  
Hey!  
**__**Hey!**_

**Tina and Quinn  
**_Get tangled up in me  
_

The girls danced around letting Brittany and Santana take the next verse.

**Brittany  
**_You wanna know more, more, more about me?  
Gotta know reverse psychology _

"Does the poor girl even know what that means?" Kurt whispered to Artie. Kurt had a soft spot for the slightly below average Cheerio.

**Santana**  
_I'm the reason why you can't get to sleep  
I'm the girl you never get just quite what you see  
_

_**Hey!  
Hey!  
Hey!  
Can't you see I want you by the way I push you away, Yeah!  
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today  
Mix the words up with the actions do it all for your reaction, Yeah!  
Hey!  
Hey!**_

**Santana and Brittany  
**_Get tangled up in me  
_

Mercedes' big voice perfectly fit the bridge.

**Mercedes**  
_You think that you know me_ _**(get tangled up in)**_  
_You think that I'm only_ _**(tangled up in me)**_  
_When everything I do is only to get tangled up in you_

**Rachel  
**_You wanna know more, more, more about me?  
I'm the girl that's sweeping you off your feet  
_

Puck smiled as he watched Rachel. He wondered if she knew she had already swept him off his feet.

_**Hey!  
**__**Hey!  
**__**Hey!  
**_**_Can't you see I want you by the way I push you away, Yeah!  
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today  
Mix the words up with the actions do it all for your reaction, Yeah!  
Hey!_**  
_**Hey!  
**_  
**Rachel  
**_Get tangled up in me._

She wasn't meaning to, but when Rachel sang her last line she was looking directly at Puck. Something about his look changed, but Rachel couldn't define it. She was stunned at herself for a beat, but then she realized that deep down in her subconscious she probably did mean to look at him.

Puck noticed the look she gave him. But, he wasn't the only one. Finn must've also seen the look because he was obviously not happy about it. Puck smirked to himself. This was one time golden-boy Finn wasn't going to get the girl.

The boys made a ruckus in their applause for the girls, who took the fuss over them graciously. The girls were quite pleased with themselves, and Mr. Schue couldn't have been more proud.

"Great job, ladies! I'm very impressed!" he said, laughing at their enthusiasm.

"Thanks, Mr. Schue," Quinn started, "but is it okay if we take a quick break? Drizzle is on my bladder today," she said.

Everyone laughed at the exasperated look on her face.

"Of course, Quinn. Take five, everyone," Mr. Schue said.

Rachel made her way back to her seat as Puck hopped down to her level.

"Very nicely done, Berry," he drawled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say there was some kind of hidden message in there."

She looked into his eyes, and the teasing that had been there slowly faded to something more serious. Rachel didn't know what to say, but she was too captivated by the flecks of gold in his eyes. Luckily, she was saved from having to say anything.

"Hey Rachel!" Finn said, shuffling up with his hands in his pockets.

Puck knew that move; it was his "Aw, shucks, I'm good ol' Finn" move. Knowing Finn, though, he probably didn't even realize it was a move. Puck rolled his eyes.

"Uh, great job on your song," Finn said hesitantly.

Rachel tore her eyes away from Puck to turn to Finn. "Thank you, Finn," she said graciously.

"So, um, can I talk to you really quick?" Finn asked, voice full of hope.

Rachel glanced back at Puck before smiling at Finn. "Okay," she said quietly, looking a little confused.

Puck watched with narrowed eyes as Finn led her over to the other side of the room. Suddenly, he felt a presence beside him. He looked over to find Quinn staring at him. He instantly became worried.

"Is the baby okay?" he whispered frantically.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered back. "So, um, what's going on with you and Rachel?"

Puck looked at Quinn with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.

"What do you mean what's going on with me and Rachel? We're friends," Puck said.

"I see the way you look at her, Puck. It's the way Kurt looks at Finn when he thinks no one is watching. It's the way Miss Pillsbury sneaks looks at Mr. Schue," she sighed wistfully as she watched Finn and Rachel. "And thankfully, it's still the way Finn looks at me," she finished quietly.

Puck was confused. Since when did Quinn care?

"Since when do you care?" Puck spat out.

"Look, Puck," Quinn started. "I know that I haven't been the nicest to you since we got into this…situation. But Rachel has been nothing but nice to me. I don't deserve her kindness, and she doesn't deserve to get treated like a conquest."

Now Puck was seething. He knew he made a mistake with Quinn, but he tried to own up to it. She had no right to say that he would do the same with Rachel.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked incredulously. "Quinn, don't even start with me. I've changed. What we did was a mistake. I told you I'd help with the baby. I don't want to come between you and Finn. I don't want to be with you; I just want to be a good father to my baby. But you have _no_ right to say that I would treat Rachel like some notch in my bedpost."

He was breathing so hard, and he was surprised he hadn't raised his voice yet. He took one last deep breath to calm himself.

"I really like her, Q," he admitted quietly.

Quinn stared wide-eyed at his words. "I just don't want you to hurt her."

"I won't," he said. But still in the back of his mind, he wondered, would he?

They watched together as the scene across the room continued.

"Why would you say something like that, Finn?" Rachel said in shock.

"Look, Rachel, Puck is my best friend, but he's not a good guy," Finn explained. "He's slept with a lot of girls. Well, and a lot of women too."

Rachel shuddered at the thought of those cougars. But she and Noah had grown close; she knew he wasn't doing that anymore.

"He's changed, Finn," Rachel said. Finn looked skeptical. "You know what I think? I think you are just upset that I'm no longer pining over you!" Rachel gasped as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

Finn looked just as shocked. "Rach, you know that I care about you. This has nothing to do with me. I just don't want him to hurt you." His eyes were tender, and she knew he was being truthful. But she had faith in Noah.

"He won't," she said as she turned away from Finn. But still in the back of her mind, she wondered, would he?

The rest of Glee went off without a hitch, but Rachel couldn't help but wonder about Finn's words. She wondered the best way to bring it up to Noah or if she even should.

* * *

At their duet rehearsal, Puck tried to think of a good way to tell Rachel he liked her. He admonished himself again for being such a pansy about it, but he didn't really ever talk about feelings with anyone.

"Hey, Noah," she began.

"Hey, Rach," he began.

They laughed at having started at the same time.

"You first," Rachel said.

"No, you," Puck insisted.

She smiled. Whenever they started talking at the same time, which had become a lot, they would always laugh and decide whose turn it was to "go first."

Rachel took a deep breath. There was no easy way to ask it, but she had to know.

"Am I just a challenge to you?" Rachel asked.

Puck had a feeling this was coming: the conversation about his past "experience."

"Absolutely not," Puck answered honestly.

"Okay," she said uncertainly.

Puck knew she believed him but wasn't quite ready to let it go. So, he figured he should put some things out in the open.

"Rach, have I done anything in these past few weeks to make you think that?" Puck pressed. "Because I think you know how I feel about you. You are not some sort of conquest."

"It's just that Finn said–"

He knew it. That jerk had filled Rachel's head with some story that Puck was only trying to use Rachel to get into bed with her. And she believed it! He couldn't believe her.

"Oh, of course, it always comes back to Finn," he laughed bitterly. "Good ol' Finn has to protect you from big, bad Puck! Is that how it is?"

"No, that's not what I meant, Noah," Rachel said defensively.

"Well, then what did you mean, _Berry_?" he accused.

Rachel was taken aback. Noah still called her Berry every once in awhile, but it had become more like an endearment or nickname. Now the way he said it brought back memories of when he was still her tormentor.

"I just meant that Finn is my friend, and he was just looking out for me! I told him that he was being ridiculous and that of course you wouldn't hurt me! I was just trying to prove him wrong!" she shrieked.

Puck should have realized then that Rachel was still on his side, but all he could think about was Finn ruining his relationship with Rachel before it even started, so Puck failed to hear that part.

"Oh, I forgot. You and Finn are best buddies. Is that it? Well, what about us, Rach? What are we?" he cried.

"We are friends too, I suppose," she answered rationally.

"You suppose!? What's that supposed to mean!?" he yelled.

Puck sighed and ran his hand through his strip of hair trying to calm himself. Rachel saw his eyes filled with hurt more than anger.

"Rachel, you know how I feel about you. I have apologized for being such a jerk all these years! I'm following through, just like your note said. I'm trying to match my actions to my words. Why can't you see that? Or do you just _expect_ me to let you down?" he asked, voice still raised but laced with anguish.

"Well, excuse me for being a little wary, Noah!" Rachel yelled. "You did only throw slushies in my face every day for years and called me names and started rumors about me. I'm sorry if I'm going to be a little guarded around you!"

Rachel was pacing back and forth on the risers in frustration. Puck couldn't believe what she was saying. They had come so far. Why was this all going to pot now?

"Now, I can tell you really mean what you have been saying and doing for these last few weeks. I do," she stated a little more calmly. "But, I'm sorry, I had to ask. I needed to know the truth, and if that's so hard for you to understand, then perhaps you don't 'care for me,'" she said with air quotes, "as much as you say or even think you do. Now if you'll pardon me, I think we're done rehearsing for the day."

And with that, she flew out the door. Puck realized as she stormed out the door that today would've been a good day for him to have gone first.

* * *

Rachel fought back tears as she ran to the auditorium. She didn't know why she didn't just go home. The big stage was just a place of solace, a place she could think. She threw herself down on the piano bench. She began to idly finger the keys.

Who was she kidding? She didn't even know why she said those things. She had spent half of Glee convincing Finn he was wrong about Puck when she just basically fed into those fears and contradicted herself. She didn't have a reason or the right to yell at Puck the way she did. It's just the stupid things he did to her heart. She liked him, but she was scared. Her fingers began to play a melody of their own accord.

Puck had waited about five seconds before running out to find Rachel. He ran to the parking lot to catch her before she left, but her car was still there. He knew the only other place she could be was the auditorium.

He had been such an idiot. He was irritated that Finn had to plant seeds of doubt in her mind, but even then, he shouldn't have yelled at her. It was just like his brain didn't work half the time when she was concerned. He entered the auditorium quietly and saw her at the piano. She looked so tiny and beautiful. He heard her sniffling, and he felt like he had been punched in the gut knowing that he had made her cry. Then, she began to sing, so softly at first he wasn't sure if he had imagined it.

_Before I fall too fast  
Kiss me quick  
But make it last  
So I can see how badly this will hurt me  
When you say goodbye_

Puck's heart clenched at those words. He didn't want to say goodbye; he had barely had a chance to say hello, relationship-wise, that is.

_Keep it sweet  
Keep it slow  
Let the future pass  
And don't let go  
But tonight I could fall to soon under this beautiful moonlight_

_But you're so hypnotizing  
You got me laughing while I sing  
You got me smiling in my sleep  
And I can see this unraveling  
And your love is where I'm falling  
But please don't catch me_

_See this heart  
Won't settle down  
Like a child running scared from a clown  
I'm terrified of what you do  
My stomach screams just when I look at you_

_Run far away  
So I can breathe  
Even though you're far from suffocating me  
I can't set my hopes to high  
Cause every hello ends with a goodbye_

His heart clenched for the second time. His heart was screaming: no! I don't want to say goodbye!

_But you're so hypnotizing  
You've got me laughing while I sing  
You've got me smiling in my sleep  
And I can see this unraveling  
Your love is where I'm falling  
But please don't catch me_

_So now you see  
Why I'm scared  
I can't open up my heart without a care  
But here I go  
It's what I feel  
and for the first time in my life I know it's real_

_But you're so hypnotizing  
You've got me laughing while I sing  
You've get me smiling in my sleep  
And I can see this unraveling  
And your love is where I'm falling  
So please don't catch me_

_And if this is love  
Please don't break me  
I'm giving up  
So just catch me_

Rachel's voice hitched on that last line, and Puck felt his heart clench a third and final time. He ran out of the auditorium, not caring that the door slammed behind him. He had to fix this.

* * *

**AN 2: Songs in this chapter: "Tangled Up in Me" (Skye Sweetnam) and "Catch Me" (Demi Lovato). **

**AN 3: I am almost to 100 reviews! Please please please get me there (and beyond! lol), b/c you have no idea how ecstatic that would make me! I appreciate any and all feedback! Thanks so much! R&R=Love :o)**


	9. Finding Each Other

**AN: Sorry for the long wait! I've been super busy at work, and I'm in the process of writing a Christmas-y Glee story. *shameless plug alert* Check it out: A Gleeful Christmas! :o) I REALLY hope you enjoy this chapter! Please R&R! Thanks! Y'all are awesome!!! :o)_

* * *

_**

_Chapter 9: Finding Each Other_

Rachel was exhausted. She didn't sleep well last night; she kept thinking of Noah. She wanted to apologize for ever doubting him. When she pulled in to the school, she saw Noah's truck. She took a deep breath, hoping she could talk to him before class.

Nothing could've prepared her for the shock she felt when she opened her locker and saw a beautiful yellow lily and a note. Her heart was in her throat when she noticed it was in Noah's handwriting. She opened it slowly to read what he had written:

_I'll catch you if you would just let me._

_Please,_

_Noah_

Tears immediately sprang to her eyelids as her heart began to soar. She smiled. He still wanted her. Now, she had to find him.

* * *

Puck was running some extra laps around the field. He hoped Rachel would find the note and come find him. They really needed to talk. He knew he should've run to her in the auditorium yesterday, but he also knew that he had to get his thoughts straightened out in his own head before he could fix things. He had to set the record straight once and for all. He was going to tell her he liked her and wanted to be with her. He just hoped she felt the same.

That's when he saw a brunette figure in a tiny skirt running toward the track and field. He stopped running. He started laughing to himself. Only Berry would try running in that little schoolgirl skirt. He couldn't help but admit that he liked seeing it flipping and flying up while she scampered toward him; he was a guy after all.

When she reached the edge of the track, she stopped short. Apparently, she realized he had been watching her. They were about fifty feet apart, but Puck could see her blush from where he was. He met her eyes, and she nodded. That was all he needed to know. He jogged to meet her the rest of the way.

He took in her flushed face as she straightened up her appearance. He smiled tenderly as he reached up and gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Rachel looked up at him and smiled shyly.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi yourself," he said just as softly.

"I'm sorry, Noah," Rachel said. "I shouldn't have even given what Finn said another thought. I let my doubts get the best of me. I am so sorry." Her eyes glistened with tears.

"I'm sorry, too Rach," he said. "I shouldn't have yelled. My temper gets the best of me sometimes. I just like you a lot, Rachel; I don't want to screw us up before there is even an us to screw up."

Rachel gasped at his words. She had hoped that he returned her feelings, had thought maybe he did, but she didn't know for sure. Until now.

"I like you too," she said smiling.

Puck wanted nothing more to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her like one of those cheesy romantic comedies, but he settled on grabbing one of her tiny hands in his larger ones. It looked so right. It felt so right, holding her soft palm against his rough hands.

"Look, Rachel, I don't do feelings," he started. "I don't, unless I'm with you because you make me have feelings. Yeah, it makes me sound like a girl, I know, but I don't care."

Rachel didn't care either. She laughed. He was toeing the ground with his shoe, kind of embarrassed he'd said anything. She gave him a playful nudge so he'd look at her.

"You don't sound like a girl, Noah. I still think you're a complete badass," she claimed, laughing.

That got Puck laughing too. But he got serious quickly.

"Rach, would you go on a date with me?" he asked.

Rachel just stared at him, not knowing what to say. A boy had never asked her out before. Well, unless you counted every time creepy Jacob Ben-Israel propositioned her with his ill-thought-out pick up lines.

"Um, yeah, okay," she said, finally finding her voice. She cleared her throat. "But, I believe we should wait until after we perform our duet in order to maintain the professional decency and courtesy of our cohesive partnership, as well as to keep the emotional ties to our song intact."

Puck didn't know what half of that meant but he laughed anyway.

Okay, just tell me this, Berry," he began. "If I ask you on a date one day _after_ our duet–"

"I'd say yes," Rachel quickly interjected. "Well, I mean, I probably would," she stumbled, shocked at her boldness.

"Whatever, Berry, you said it yourself," Puck teased with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "I knew you couldn't resist these guns," he said as he flexed his biceps.

"Your guns are lovely," she giggled.

"Come on, let's get to class," Puck said, nodding to the school.

They fell easily in step with each other, close enough to touch shoulders. When their hands brushed, Puck smiled at her and linked his pinkie with hers. Rachel grinned back, thinking that was the sweetest thing anyone could do at that moment. They walked that way until they closed in on the main building.

"So, wait a second," she said suddenly, stopping them both in their tracks.

Puck looked down at her in question, hoping she didn't change her mind or anything.

"How exactly did you get that lily in my locker?" she asked.

"I used my rugged good looks and boyish charm on the office lady, and she gave me your combination," he said with a shrug. That teasing glint was back in his eyes.

Rachel just laughed as she swatted his arm with her free hand, for their pinkies were still looped, much to her pleasure.

They laughed the rest of the way to the double doors, where they parted ways. Neither of them noticed the sneaky fashionista who had been lurking behind them since he spotted them talking on the track. Kurt watched them say their goodbyes with his heart in his eyes and a sigh on his lips. They had finally found one another. He couldn't wait to find Mercedes.

* * *

"Okay, spill," Mercedes said excitedly, plopping herself down by Rachel as Kurt trapped her on the other side.

"Well, good afternoon to you too, Mercedes, Kurt," Rachel replied.

She looked at their knowing eyes and wide grins and knew they were pining for information, but she was not going to give anything up. She and Noah hadn't really spoken about it; besides, they weren't dating yet anyway.

"Come on, Rachel," Kurt said, "I saw you and Puck walk to school together, smiling and looking all googly-eyed at each other."

Rachel's jaw dropped. She had no idea anyone had seen them. Now she was really glad that Noah was at a football meeting so he didn't have to be as embarrassed as she was.

Kurt sneaked a glance at Mercedes. He knew he had been right. The shock in Rachel's eyes and the blush on her cheeks was confirmation enough for him.

"That's what I thought," Kurt said smugly.

"Um, I have to go," Rachel got up quickly and left the table.

"Oh no you didn't, girl!" Mercedes called after her.

Rachel flipped her hair and gave them a sneaky grin over her shoulder, letting them know that she wasn't saying a word. Then she wiggled her fingers in a wave and skittered off.

She was still giggling when she ran smack into Finn.

"Hey, Rachel," he said hesitantly.

"Hello, Finn," she said properly.

She really didn't feel like talking to Finn. Once again, he had disappointed her, and right now she just couldn't handle it.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I shouldn't have said anything about Puck. It's not any of my business."

"You're right," Rachel said bluntly. "It's not any of your business."

With that, she spun on her heels and walked to her last classroom. She didn't even care that she was twenty minutes early.

* * *

Rachel went into the auditorium for her final rehearsal with Puck before their duet tomorrow. However, she was surprised to see Mike and Tina using the stage. She could've sworn she had signed up for the auditorium for every day this week. She turned back to the door and found herself looking at Puck's chest. Her eyes followed up to look at Puck smirking down at her.

"Why are you leaving?" Puck asked.

"It would seem the auditorium is being used," Rachel said, nodding to the stage.

"Oh. Well, let's just use the Glee room," he said logically.

Puck led Rachel out the door with his hand on the small of her back. She tried to hide her smile at his gentlemanly action. But, when they got to the Glee room, they found it occupied by Quinn and Artie.

"Where are we going to rehearse?" Rachel asked frantically.

"Rach, calm down. We can practice at my house," Puck answered.

She followed Puck to his house a few neighborhoods down from hers. Rachel didn't realize they lived as close to each other as they did.

Puck was a little nervous bringing Rachel to his house. Not that he was ashamed; he loved his house. He had just never taken a girl home since Santana snubbed his mother, his sister, _and_ his house.

"Noah," Rachel said quietly. "Your home is lovely."

When he looked at her face to scoff her statement, he saw that she was completely serious. She looked at him then and smiled.

"Come on, I'll give you the mini tour," he laughed. "As you can see, this is the kitchen," he said, gesturing to his left, "and this is the living room," he gestured to his right. "Down the hall is Mom's room. Nina's and my rooms are upstairs."

The kitchen was decorated in bright yellow, and it had a country kitchen feel to it. The living room was comfortable, and there was a small piano tucked in the corner. Rachel raised her eyebrows at Puck.

"Mom plays a little," he answered her unsaid question.

They climbed the stairs slowly, giving Rachel time to look at the pictures hung on the walls. There were school pictures of both Noah and Nina. There was a family picture of when Noah was about ten years old, and he is reaching behind tiny Nina's head, giving her bunny ears. Rachel giggled at the picture of Noah and Finn, about six years old, arms around each other's shoulders and smiling gap-toothed grins.

Puck watched her looking at each picture and trinket in awe. His heart swelled with pride that his girl was interested in his life. It didn't even faze him when he referred to Rachel as his girl in his mind. He just hoped it wouldn't be long before he could call her that to her face. Right now, he was okay being patient, because he knew Rachel had never been in a relationship before. She was bound to want to take things slow, and for once, he was okay with that. She was worth it.

They found themselves in Noah's room. Rachel blushed. She'd never been in a boy's room before. It was a typical guy's room, with sports items around, a desk with a computer, and a plain blue bed comforter.

"Noah, your room is nice," she said.

"Thanks," Puck shrugged.

"So, where are we going to practice?" she asked.

"Well," he said, flopping on his bed, "we can practice in here or in the living room."

Rachel flushed again. She wasn't sure if being alone in Noah's bedroom was a good idea just yet.

"I think maybe downstairs?" she squeaked.

Puck smirked. He had sensed her hesitation, but he couldn't help but tease her just a little.

"Too bad," he said, lazily drawing circles on his bedspread. "This would've been _much_ more comfortable," he drawled, patting the space beside him.

He looked up at her with innocent eyes and then waggled his eyebrows suggestively when she looked at him.

"Noah!" she said sternly.

But a smile couldn't be helped. It peeked through her firm look, and they both dissolved into laughter, and Puck pulled her out of his room before he grabbed her and kissed her senseless.

They ran through the song a few times, but on the last run through, Puck backed Rachel up against the bookcase. They were so close to one another, and the sexual tension was undeniable.

"We always seem to find ourselves in this position, don't we, Noah?" she breathed.

Noah's green eyes burned into Rachel's brown ones. He leaned in to touch his lips to hers, but just as Rachel could feel his breath on her face, the door flung open.

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**AN2: Yes...I just did that. I left you hanging, and I'm sorry!! Don't kill me!! hehehe ;o) Anyway, did I mention how amazing you all are?! Over 100 reviews! I am amazed! So, at the risk of sounding** **selfish, I would LOVE to see some more reviews! Thanks guys! Your reviews and feedback definitely inspire me! Remember, R&R = Love! :o)**


	10. A Family Affair

**AN: So, I'm sorry I left you with a cliffie last chapter! Okay, maybe not too sorry! ;o) lol Anyway, since it's Christmas, here's a nice little chapter for you! Please enjoy! Thanks to you all; you all are amazing! Please R&R! :o)**

_**

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Chapter 10: A Family Affair

_Noah's green eyes burned into Rachel's brown ones. He leaned in to touch his lips to hers, but just as Rachel could feel his breath on her face, the door flung open._

"NOAH! We're home!" his mother yelled from the entryway.

Puck groaned inwardly as he backed up from Rachel. He knew he probably could steal a quick kiss, but he wanted his first kiss with Rachel to be special. For her, of course, because if he admitted he wanted it to be special for him too, he'd sound like a complete girl.

It didn't matter anyway. The spell had been broken the second Nina came bounding in the living room.

"Who are you?" Nina asked curiously, as she skidded to a stop in front of Rachel.

"I'm Rachel," she answered. "I'm one of your brother's friends from school."

"I'm Nina," the little girl replied proudly.

"Hey, Squirt," Puck said, ruffling her hair.

"Hey, Jerkface," Nina said, punching him in the arm.

Rachel smiled as she watched the siblings interact. She felt a slight pang of disappointment of not having a sibling growing up.

"Oh, I had no idea we had company, Noah," his mother said as she walked into the living room. "I hope we didn't interrupt anything."

_Oh, nothing, just our first kiss. No big deal_, he thought, urging himself not to roll his eyes.

"Mom, this is Rachel," Puck introduced.

"Hello, Mrs. Puckerman," Rachel said, stepping forward to shake her hand.

"Call me Hannah," the older woman said, smiling brightly.

"Rachel and I have a duet for Glee," Puck said. "We were just rehearsing."

"Actually, I'm just leaving," Rachel said hesitantly.

"You most certainly will not," Hannah said sharply.

Rachel panicked. Had Noah's mom seen them about to kiss? She glanced at Puck who looked just as nervous.

"I won't?" she peeped, eyes wide.

"No," Hannah cooed. "You must stay for dinner," she smiled widely as her eyes caught a glimpse of Rachel's Star of David necklace. "It's not often Noah brings friends home. Especially _beautiful_, _Jewish_ girls."

Hannah smiled even wider as she gently nudged Puck. He winced.

"Real subtle, Mom," he groaned.

Rachel giggled through the whole exchange.

"I'd be delighted to stay, Hannah. Thank you for offering," Rachel accepted politely. "Let me call my fathers to let them know."

She excused herself into the kitchen, and Hannah nonverbally grilled her son. Her eyes told him, _She's really pretty. I like her already._ His eyes told her, _Yeah she is. I like her too._ Hannah nodded, very satisfied at his response. Puck just laughed and shook his head at his mom's antics. She meant well.

They ate dinner and engaged in normal conversation. Rachel did her best to mentally reel herself in if she felt like she was talking too much. Puck seemed to know exactly what was going through her head, and he smiled at her in encouragement.

However, Hannah didn't mind one bit hearing Rachel speak. She was impressed with everything about Rachel. In Hannah's opinion, it wasn't every day one met such a nice girl with Rachel's manners, intelligence, ambition, and beauty. Puck knew that if she could have her way, Hannah would have them married by dessert.

Nina seemed to be equally enthralled with Rachel. When she heard that Rachel could play the piano, Nina asked her to play and sing for them after dinner. Rachel turned about three shades of red.

"Well, I don't know, Nina," Rachel hesitated.

"Oh, please, Rachel!" Nina begged.

"Sure, Rachel, why don't you and Noah perform your duet?" Hannah suggested.

"Um, Mom, we really don't have to," Noah sputtered.

"Noah! I want to hear you sing too!" Nina whined, bouncing in her seat.

"Okay, okay, we'll sing!" Noah finally relented, throwing up his hands in defeat.

Hannah and Nina beamed proudly. Rachel caught Puck's eye from across the table. She smiled gently, and he had the audacity to wink at her, with his mother sitting right there!

After dinner, Puck and Rachel situated themselves in the living room. Rachel had suggested she play the piano and Puck his guitar instead of doing the choreography. They sang their duet, sitting, of course, because Rachel was pretty sure Noah's mother would've had a heart attack if she realized the amount of sexual tension between the two. When they finished, Hannah had tears in her eyes, and Nina watched her brother and Rachel in awe.

"You sing like a Disney princess," Nina marveled.

"Thank you, Nina," Rachel giggled.

"Hey now! What about me, Dork?" Puck asked, putting Nina in a loose headlock and tickling her sides.

"You were great too, Noah," Nina said between shrieks and giggles. "Now, let me go!"

Puck laughed as he let Nina go, and she pulled Rachel back to the piano and sat down beside her.

"Will you teach me something?" Nina asked sweetly.

Rachel glanced at Noah in surprise. He could tell she was touched by Nina's obvious fascination with her. But he could tell it scared her too. He just nodded in encouragement. He was so proud of Rachel at that moment.

"Of course," Rachel said, smiling down at Nina.

Rachel proceeded to teach Nina how to play Chopsticks, while Noah and his mom watched from the couch.

"She's a very nice girl, Noah," Hannah whispered.

"Yeah, she is, Mom," Noah sighed contently.

"Do you like her?" she asked.

"I do," Noah answered, smiling unconsciously as he watched Rachel and Nina giggle at the piano.

"Well, I think she's a keeper. Don't screw it up," she said with a wink. "Nina, it's time for you to get ready for bed."

"Aw, Mom," Nina griped. But she got up anyway and hugged Rachel tightly around the waist. "Come back soon, Rachel."

Rachel's breath caught in her throat at the sweet girl's words.

"Okay, Nina. Goodnight," Rachel whispered.

Nina hugged and kissed her mom and Noah before heading up to bed. Hannah was washing dishes in the kitchen, when Rachel offered to help.

"No, dear, you don't need to help," Hannah waved her off.

"Well, why don't Noah and I wash them for you, and you go relax?" Rachel proposed.

Noah groaned at Rachel's suggestion. "Seriously, Berry?!"

She grinned impishly at him and held up a sponge and a dishrag. "Wash or dry?"

Noah swiped the dishrag, rolled it up, and snapped it at Rachel, who jumped playfully out of the way. Hannah smiled in approval as the cute couple set to work washing the dishes.

The two worked in comfortable silence, with Noah reaching over every once in awhile and flicking soap at Rachel who proceeded to splash him with the faucet hose. The dishes were finished in record time, but in Puck's opinion, all too soon. Rachel folded the towels and wiped down the counter. Puck noticed that she had a little soap in the hair framing her face. So he leaned over and wiped it from her face, stroking her cheek with the tips of his fingers as he did. Rachel's eyes were shining as she looked up at him. She flushed slightly, and Puck decided he would never get tired of seeing that.

"I need to go," Rachel said quietly.

"I'll walk you out," Puck replied.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Rachel breathed.

"Yeah, we are so going to kick some Glee tail with our duet tomorrow!" Puck teased.

Rachel beamed at him. "Now don't forget: you cannot have any milk or ice cream tomorrow! Dairy products produce excess mucus which coats the vocal cords. Not good," she instructed.

"Yes, _Mom_," he sighed exasperatedly.

"Huh? Did you need something, dear?" Hannah called absently from the living room.

Rachel put her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Thank you for inviting me to stay for dinner," she said as they meandered to her car.

Puck smiled tenderly at her. "Thank you for being so awesome with my sister and mom," he said seriously.

Rachel wasn't sure how to say goodbye, and they ended doing the whole awkward "to hug or not to hug" dance before finally hugging. Puck wrapped his arms around Rachel, cocooning her in his grasp, and Rachel linked her arms around Puck's waist. Rachel sighed into his chest. Puck thought he could've stayed just like that, holding Rachel to his chest, for the rest of his life. Then, all too soon, she began to pull away so she could smile up at him. She leaned up to kiss his cheek like she did that very first night he admitted he cared for her. Then, she got into her car and left, smiling and waving one more time as she drove away.

Puck watched her leave with a smile on his face. Yeah, he was pretty sure he was whipped, and they hadn't even been on a real date yet.

**

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AN2: Merry Christmas to you all! So, how's about some nice reviews in return?? Hehehe ;o) Remember, R&R = Love! :o)


	11. Made to Finish Your Duet

**AN: Sorry for the long(ish) wait! So, first thing: I don't own anything. Second thing: I went to dinner last night with an old friend, and in the table next to us was a cute little boy about 5 or 6 who was totally rocking a Mohawk!!! It was too adorable! My friend and I were both like, "PUCK!" Anyway, I just wanted to share that! :o) Third thing: You guys are awesome! Please R&R! :o)**

**Oh, and here is the key to the songs. I hope it made it clear enough…the keys are in order of the respective songs. Also, it was really hard to write Puck and Rachel's choreography the way I had it in my brain. I had it all envisioned to a T, so I hope it came across on paper! :o)**

_Italics:  
_Santana  
Quinn  
Rachel

**Bold:  
**Mercedes  
Artie  
Puck

_**Bold Italics:  
**_The other Gleeks  
Q/A together  
R/P together

* * *

_**Chapter 11: Made to Finish Your Duet**_

Today was the day of judgment. They were to sing their duets in Glee. Puck was more than ready, not even nervous. He had had a great night with Rachel, and he knew they would kick butt on their duet today. She was a brilliant performer, and he was a stud: Seriously, what more could they ask for? Yep, he was so ready for today.

Rachel had never been nervous to perform before. She couldn't quite put her finger on why she didn't feel ready. She knew the lyrics and the choreography, and she had complete faith in Noah. However, she didn't feel right. Perhaps it was because she couldn't quite keep her heart out of her eyes when she was singing with Noah. It was okay for him to see because he knew how she felt and he felt the same. But, it was different showing it in front of the other Glee kids. Nope, she was not ready for today.

Rachel checked her makeup and hair in the mirror one last time. The other girls were crowded around, chaning into their costumes as well. Rachel sat on the counter tugging on her cowboy boots as she surveyed the others. Mercedes and Santana had on embellished jeans and sparkly tops. Every one of Mercedes' fingers had a ring on it, and multiple necklaces hung from Santana's neck. They were "blingin'" as she heard Mercedes say. Tina was wearing a flowy white top and khaki capri pants; she looked so much girlier than her normal Goth self. Brittany was dressed to the nines in bell bottom jeans and a psychedelic colorful top. Rachel surmised she and Kurt were doing some song from the seventies. Then Rachel looked at Quinn; even in her black ripped up shirt and black pleather skirt, Quinn was beautiful. The tight shirt held snug against her baby bump which was beginning to show now. The pretty blonde had on black ankle boots and fishnets. Her hair mussed up, and she was struggling with her eye makeup.

"Here, let me help," Rachel offered.

Quinn looked up at her and gave her a tiny smile. "Thanks, I'm actually not too good at eyeliner."

"No problem, I'm pretty handy with an eye pencil," Rachel smiled.

They sat there while Quinn looked up at the ceiling and Rachel applied liner to her lower lid. She repeated the action on the other eye.

"Do you want it a little smudged on top?" Rachel asked. "It will make it look a little edgier."

"Sure, that'd be great," Quinn said quietly.

Rachel set to work lining Quinn's upper lids. She used her finger to gently smear the liner which gave Quinn's eyes a smoky look.

"There! All done," Rachel said, backing away.

"Thanks, Rachel," Quinn said seriously.

"You're welcome," Rachel replied.

The former head cheerleader squeezed Rachel's arm lightly and smiled before she ran out the bathroom door. Rachel smiled at herself at how much had changed in so little time. Taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and headed for the Glee room.

When she entered, her eyes took in all the couples readying themselves for their duets. Kurt was primping himself; he had on a gaudy white blazer with velour lapels and some crazy sunglasses. Artie looked like a rocker down to the core, and Rachel deduced that paired with Quinn's edgy appearance, they might be performing as Roger and Mimi from _RENT_. Matt and Finn were decked out in black suits and black skinny ties, complete with dark sunglasses and black fedoras. They looked very sharp. Mike was wearing a navy blue tee shirt and dark jeans; he made a stark contrast to Tina's light colors.

Finally, Rachel's eyes rested on Noah. He was dressed a pair of fitted jeans, cowboy boots, a red and white plaid long-sleeved shirt left unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a white wife beater, and a dark cowboy hat. There was no other way to say it: he looked hot. Rachel fidgeted with her clothes as he watched him talk to Kurt and Brittany. He looked up and met her eyes. He stared at her with a smoldering gaze, and Rachel suddenly felt ten degrees warmer.

Puck stared at Rachel. She was beautiful. She had on a criminally short jeans skirt with a belt slung low on her hips. Her blue plaid shirt was tied up in a knot that rested right above the hem of her skirt, showing only a sliver of her tanned abdomen. Her hair was in a loose braid slung over to one side. Puck felt his stomach clench, and he hoped he could remember his lyrics. Then, Rachel flashed one of her winning smiles at him and turned to sit down, swaying her hips ever so slightly. That girl was going to be the death of him.

Puck slid in the seat next to Rachel and brushed his knee with hers. She blushed at the contact. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut short by Mr. Schuester.

"Okay, guys, I don't know about you, but I am very excited to see what you all have planned for today. You all look great," he said excitedly. "Let's pick an order."

He passed around the hat which apparently had the numbers one through six in it. Rachel reached in and showed the slip of paper to Puck. Six. Sweet, they got to go last. She smiled and nodded in approval.

"All right," Mr. Schuester prompted. "Who's first?"

"We are," Mike said as he and Tina made their way to the front.

Rachel watched as they began singing "Set the Fire to the Third Bar." Rachel was impressed by Mike's voice; he'd never really sung much before. He and Tina were singing together, but he could definitely hold his own. She found herself enjoying their sweet choreography as well. The song talked about lovers so far from one another, so they kept their distance for most of the song until the very end, and it was soft, so a lot of the dancing was ballet-like.

The next couple to go was Brittany and Kurt. They did a fantastic imitation of Kiki Dee and Elton John's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." They had adorable choreography, incorporating many disco moves, and they looked like they were having a great time. Rachel was impressed by Brittany's enthusiasm, and of course Kurt's falsetto was flawless.

Santana and Mercedes cracked everybody up with their sassy rendition of "Who's Got Your Money?" Rachel found that she really liked Santana's voice; it had a raspy quality to it, but not so much that it was displeasing to the ear. Rachel's favorite part of the song was the bridge when the girls danced around getting the other Glee kids involved. They got to yell "Money!" when the girls pointed to them.

Mercedes  
**He broke my heart  
So I took his money **_**(MONEY!)**_**  
Yea, it may seem funny but  
M-O-N-E-Y  
For every time that he makes you cry  
**

Santana  
_He broke your heart  
Now, go get that money __**(MONEY!)**__  
Yeah, green cash money  
M-O-N-E-Y_

**Found the dough you were hiding in the tin can  
**_Flew to Vegas with the girls for the weekend  
_**Finally, my heart is starting to mend  
Money now **_(You're broke!)_**  
Money now  
**_I'm feeling better now, oh oh  
Cause who's got your money now?  
__**Me! Me!**_

Puck had to laugh at Santana and Mercedes' song. It figured that Santana would sing about money seeing as how she dumped him over a nonexistent credit score.

Finn and Matt gave a rousing rendition of "Soul Man" complete with Blues Brother dancing and showmanship. Rachel was glad to hear Matt sing, because like Mike, his voice had yet to be showcased. He had a distinct sound about him; yet he was smooth, kind of like Usher. Rachel was proud of herself for coming up with a relevant pop culture comparison, and when she leaned over to tell Puck, he had all he could do not to crack up at her words.

Rachel was right about Artie and Quinn. Artie played a riff on his electric guitar of "Another Day" when Quinn burst in on him. They played it just like Roger and Mimi with Artie trying to shut Quinn out by rolling away and Quinn following him or blocking him from the door. Rachel was impressed by the progress Quinn had made on strengthening her voice. It still needed work in Rachel's opinion, but it was getting better. Puck's favorite part was when Artie started singing his solo and Quinn sang hers in unison.

_I can't control  
_**Control your temper  
**_My destiny  
_**She doesn't see  
**_I trust my soul  
_**Who says that there's a soul?  
**_(My only goal is just to be)  
_**Just let me be  
**

_There's only now. There's only here  
_**(Who do you think you are?)  
(Barging in on me and my guitar)  
**_Give in to love or live in fear  
_  
_No other path  
_**(Little girl, hey)  
**_No other way  
_**(The door is that way)**

_No day but today  
_**(The fire's out anyway)  
**_No day but today  
_**(Take your powder. Take your candle)  
**_No day but today  
_**(Take your [green] eyes, your pretty smile, your silhouette)  
**_No day but today  
_**(Another time, another place, another rhyme, a warm embrace)  
**_No day but today  
_**(Another dance, another way, another chance, another day)  
**_No day but today_

Then, it was finally Puck and Rachel's turn. They got up from their seats, and made their way to their spots. On their way, Puck casually winked at her, making Rachel blush. She edged away from him but he tickled her sides. She squirmed out of the way and glared at him. He had his normal Puck smirk in place.

"Stop it," she hissed, working hard to keep a smile from showing.

"Just getting into character, baby." he whispered. She flushed more and shivered as his hot breath tickled her ear.

This did not go unnoticed by Puck. He made his way to the edge of the classroom. He saw Rachel get in place against the wall with one leg perched under her, her foot pressed to the wall behind her. She was looking down toward the audience. He knew she was ready, but she looked like she was coiled tighter than a rattlesnake. She needed to loosen up, and he knew just how to do it. She nodded to Brad, and the band began to play their duet.

_There you go  
in all your beautiful glory.  
_She watched with her head against the wall as Puck strutted across her path.

_Messing with my head  
like you always did.  
_She hung her head low and turned her face away from him._  
_

**I'm thinking things I don't want to say,  
And I can't breathe.  
**He began to walk toward her.

Wait, Rachel thought. What the heck is he doing? He is not supposed to come toward me yet!

**What do I have to tell you, girl,  
So you won't leave?  
**He rested his left hand on her cheek and smirked when she gave nothing away even though he knew she was probably freaking out inside. **  
**

_Tell me what I want to hear.  
_Just then, she snatched his hand with her right one, and laced her fingers with his. Her face read "Two can play at this game, Puckerman."

_I don' t care if you're lying, baby  
I just want to feel you touch me right now.  
_She backed him up toward the center of the room, in full view of the audience.

_**Go ahead and call it love  
Tomorrow you can deny it, baby  
Kiss me again, let me pretend  
that it's not wrong.  
**_They held that same position and swayed to the music._**  
**_

_Baby, lead me on._  
Rachel disentangled her hand from Puck's and ran a finger seductively down his chest. _  
_

_I wanna touch your skin.  
I wanna taste it.  
_As she walked around behind him, she stood flush up against him with her cheek to his back, and her hands made their way to his shoulder blades.

_I wanna feel that love like we used to make it.  
_She ran her nails down his back and felt him shudder. _  
_

**I don't care if we go nowhere  
**He turned to face her and spun her so that her back was against his chest, and they were both facing forward with his hands gripping her waist.

**You're all I see.  
**He grabbed her right arm and slung it up to rest behind his neck as he traced a finger down her side a la _Dirty Dancing_.

**One more night with you is all I need  
**Her hand followed and clasped with his left hand which was still at her waist.

_**Tell me what I want to hear  
**_He spun her out quickly, and even she was thinking of Baby and Johnny's dance.

_**I don' t care if you're lying, baby  
**_With the flick of his wrist, she turned back in but stopped herself with a firm hand on his chest.

_**I just want to feel you touch me right now  
Go ahead and call it love  
**_They stared into each other's eyes, as if trying to read some hidden emotion.

_**Tomorrow you can deny it, baby  
Kiss me again, let me pretend  
That it's not wrong  
**_She encircled his neck and he her waist, and just as they got close enough to what appeared like a kiss, she jerked away, but he still held her waist.

_Baby, lead me on_  
She pulled away and backed a few steps away from him.

He backed away from her to the other side of the piano.**  
I know what you want  
I know what you need  
****I know when I'm gone  
You'll still think of me.**  
He faced away from her.

She followed him, as if begging him not to walk away.  
_You know what I want  
You know what I need  
I know when you're gone__  
You won't even think about me.  
_But then, she took one step back, and looked away at him._  
_

_**Tell me what I want to hear  
**_They both quickly turned back to each other.

_**I don' t care if you're lying, baby  
**_They rushed back to each other in the center of the room but hesitated to touch.

_**I just want to feel you touch me right now  
**_She reached up to touch his face, but he grabbed her hand and had his other hand at her waist.

_**So go ahead and call it love  
Tomorrow you can deny it, baby  
****Whisper my name, baby, no shame  
Is it so wrong?  
**_She slowly leaned back at the waist like he was dipping her into a backbend until her head was almost to the floor and her shirt rode up, revealing her toned stomach. Then, she unhurriedly made her way back up to face him.

Puck was thrown off for a second because he found that the most sensual thing he'd possibly ever seen.

_Baby, lead me on  
_

He let go over her, and walked around the piano.  
**I know what you want  
****I know what you need **

She followed him but stopped when they were on opposite sides.  
_(Baby, lead me on)_

**I know when I'm gone  
**_You won't even think about me._

**I know what you want  
I know what you need  
**_Oh you know, you know, you know, know…  
You won't even think about me  
_She left her spot at the edge of the piano and began to walk past him toward the door.

**I know what you want  
**He grabbed her hand as she passed, and she turned back to him.

_(Baby, lead me on)  
_**I know what you need  
**Puck backed her up against the wall in a similar position that she began the song in, but he boxed her in with a hand on each side of her head. He stood with their chests brushing, both breathing heavily.

_Baby, lead me __**on…**_

On the last word of the song, he took his left hand and caressed his finger against the side of her cheek, and she closed her eyes.

Everyone in the room was silent for a beat or two after the music ended. The two that had just sung were staring intensely at each other. No one was sure where the electricity that suddenly filled the room had come from.

Then, all of the sudden, Mercedes started whooping and that started everyone cheering. Puck's gaze on Rachel softened, and she began to giggle. Through the loud applause and "_ow ow!_"-ing of Kurt, they all heard a loud "Meowwww." Everyone turned to Brittany, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"What?! Isn't it called a cat call??" she asked frantically.

That lightened the air considerably as everyone laughed. Puck led Rachel back to their seats with a warm hand to the small of her back. She didn't know if she was still blushing, but if the considerable heat she felt emanating from her cheeks was any indication, she was pretty sure they were still red.

Puck eyed Rachel from his seat. He might get an earful for rearranging the choreography, but looking at the smile on her face and the blush that covered her cheeks, he didn't care one bit.

"Wow!" Mr. Schuester marveled as he made his way back to the front of the class. "I am so impressed with all of your duets! But, I think it's pretty clear we have a winner: Puck and Rachel!"

The other kids cheered, congratulating the two. Rachel blushed at the praise, and Puck simply smirked. It was about time they recognized him as a Glee stud too.

"I have to say," Mr. Schue started, "I must comment on your choreography. It was so fluid. Guys, take a note from these two. It is so important to make your dancing seem spontaneous instead of forced."

Puck's eyes darted to Rachel. Her eyes were just as wide at Mr. Schuester's praise. They shared a special smile because only they knew just how spontaneous it was.

"Okay, well, you guys are dismissed. See you next week!" Mr. Schue told the students. "Rachel, Puck, be thinking of a duet to perform at Sectionals."

Everyone began grabbing their stuff when Rachel finally found her voice.

"Why? Aren't we going to perform the song we just sang?" she asked, confused at his words.

"Well, I just think you might want to practice another song," Mr. Schue hesitated, taking in the curious looks of the students. He chuckled nervously. "We wouldn't want to give the judges a heart attack."

"Yeah, or the greatest pleasure they've even known," Kurt said smugly.

Everyone laughed at Kurt's appropriate description. Rachel choked on air, but Puck just smirked, throwing his arm over Rachel's shoulder.

"Bummer, that could've been fun," he murmured in her ear.

Her jaw dropped, and when she looked at him in shock, he just winked at her. She just rolled her eyes, flipped her hair, and huffed exaggeratedly out the door in true diva-like fashion, but not before Puck could see the smile forming on her lips. He knew she wasn't mad but he needed to catch her anyway, so Puck playfully wagged his eyebrows to those still intently watching the two and ran out after her.

"Hey, Berry!" he called after her.

She turned to him with her eyebrows raised. "Yes?" she asked coyly, with a smirk of her own on her lips.

"We did it!" he cried.

Then, Puck pulled her into a hug and spun her around. She giggled in delight, throwing her arms around his neck.

When he settled her back on the ground, his eyes were shining, alight with a happiness and sense of accomplishment Rachel didn't think she'd ever seen before.

"We make a great team," Puck said, meaning every word.

As if she sensed his underlying meaning, Rachel smiled and said simply, "I know."

* * *

**AN2: Hope you guys liked this chapter! Songs performed in this chapter in case you want to listen to them:**

**Tina and Mike: "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" (Snow Patrol)**

**Brittany and Kurt: "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Elton John and Kiki Dee)**

**Mercedes and Santana: "Who's Got Your Money?" (Tina Parol)**

**Finn and Matt: "Soul Man" (Sam & Dave)**

**Quinn and Artie: "Another Day" (**_**RENT**_** – Roger and Mimi, played by Adam Pascal and Rosario Dawson)**

**Rachel and Puck: "Lead Me On" (Gloriana)**

**Remember, R&R = Love! :o)**


	12. Firsts

**AN: I am SO sorry for the long(ish) wait!! But I'm hoping this chapter will make up for it and will be worth the wait! ;o) Hehehe! Oh! So last night, I was writing this chapter, and flipping through the channels, and I realized "Mash-Up" was on!! So of course I flip over to FOX immediately, but I'd already missed the makeout scene! :( lol But I tuned in right in time for the sweet slushie/bathroom scene. Awww! Can't freakin' wait til April!!! Anyway, I just had to share that! As always, you guys are awesome! Please R&R!**

_**

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Chapter 12: Firsts**_

Rachel could not stop smiling.

She had tried. But she couldn't help it. She was still on cloud nine from this whole week. Never in a million years did she imagine catching the attention of the hottest football player in school, finding out he was actually a decent guy under his hard exterior, becoming his friend, and eventually knowing he had feelings for her. Then, to win the duet challenge with him was amazing. She couldn't wipe that silly grin off her face.

While she was gathering her books from her locker, someone came up behind her and covered her eyes with his hands. Rachel's smile widened, assuming it was Noah greeting her in his own crazy way.

"What do you think you're doing, Silly?" she asked, flirting a little.

"Hoping you'll give me the time of day, my beautiful Sugar Muffin," the voice said.

Rachel stiffened immediately. That voice did not belong to whom she thought. She whipped around, jerking the hands off her face.

"Jacob," she said through gritted teeth. "Don't you know it's rude to sneak up on unsuspecting people?"

"You didn't seem to mind a second ago," Jacob said in a creepy, what-he-thought-was-sexy voice.

He ran a single finger up and down her left arm, and Rachel snatched it from its trail.

"When will you admit your growing attraction for me, Rachel?" he asked, inching closer to her.

Rachel took one step back. "Jacob, would you kindly leave the premises so that I may obtain my study materials for the day?"

He took one more step toward her, and she was now against her open locker.

"Rachel," he breathed. "Go out with me tonight."

"Um, Jacob," Rachel started.

"She can't, Dimwit," said a voice from behind Jacob, "because she's going out with me."

Jacob groaned at the interruption. "Puck," he regarded the large football player.

Puck smirked at the stocky boy with a Jew-fro.

"Rach, is this guy bothering you?" Puck asked casually, leaning on the locker beside her.

He felt her relax next to him. She turned to give him a small smile.

"As a matter of fact, I was just telling Jacob that I was otherwise engaged for the evening, but I thank you for your intervention. It was obvious that Mr. Ben-Israel doesn't like to take no for an answer," she answered coolly.

Puck glared at Jacob. "I suggest that you leave the lady alone," he sneered. "Today and every other day. Rachel Berry is taken."

Though she could hardly admit right now or even out loud, that declaration did funny things to Rachel's heart. She did her best to hide her growing smile and turned to Jacob with a glare. He shrank away timidly, leaving the two behind to chuckle at him rounding the corner in a hurry.

"Thank you, Noah," Rachel said sincerely.

"Anytime," Puck answered, smiling at the beautiful girl beside him.

They easily fell into step with one another, making their way to Rachel's first period class. He carried her books, and she chattered happily about duet choices. When they made their way to Rachel's class, she stopped and turned to Puck.

"Did you mean what you said?" she questioned.

"About you being taken?" Puck returned the question with a smirk.

Rachel nodded.

"You know I did," he responded in a low, husky voice.

Rachel smiled as she felt her cheeks start to burn.

"So, how about it, Berry? Will you go on a date with me tonight?" Puck asked, lazily leaning on the wall.

"I am sure that I can pencil you in," Rachel answered cheekily.

"Oh, I see how it is," Puck teased as he reached to tickle her sides. She sidestepped and lifted her hand to rub his fuzzy Mohawk.

"We can discuss it at lunch. See you then, Noah!" she replied in a sing-song voice. And with that, she flounced into the classroom.

Puck chuckled to himself as he watched his girl go get her education. He, on the other hand, was going to the 7-11 for his morning slushie. They were such opposites, but he figured that's what made them work. He smirked as he slipped something into Rachel's locker as he walked out of the building. He'd be back just in time for third period.

* * *

"So, have you and Mr. Handsome gone out yet?" Kurt inquired as Rachel put away her books to head to lunch.

"No, but he did ask me this morning," Rachel hinted.

This news elicited a loud squeal from the fabulous soprano. "Really?" he exclaimed, bouncing in place.

"Yes," she answered.

Kurt was yammering on about how he just _had_ to style her hair and do her makeup for the date and how she just _had_ to call him on Saturday with all the details when Rachel noticed a slip of paper that had fallen by her feet when she exchanged books in her locker. Picking it up, she immediately recognized Noah's scribbling.

_Let's get out of this town tonight  
Nothing but dust in the shadows._

Kurt noticed the confused look on Rachel's face so he peered over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the note.

"Handsome _and_ mysterious? Le sigh," Kurt swooned, causing Rachel to dissolve into giggles.

"Come on, Kurt, you can help me think about what I'm going to wear," Rachel declared, looping her arm in his.

* * *

"Hello, Tall, Dark, and Mysterious," Kurt cooed to Puck as he slid down beside Rachel.

"Hey, Beyoncé, what's up?" Puck asked with a nod of his head.

"Just wondering where you're taking Rachel tonight so I can help dress her accordingly," Kurt said matter-of-factly.

Puck rolled his eyes as his gaze swung to rest on Rachel's flushed face. She was looking down as if to believe he wouldn't see her if she couldn't see him.

"Is that so?" Puck inquired, nonchalantly brushing the hair out of Rachel's eyes.

Mercedes, Kurt, and Tina shared a secret "awww" look, and Artie nodded approvingly to himself.

"Well, yes," Rachel began. "He was accompanying me to my locker when I found your note with a cryptic song lyric."

"Ah, I see," Puck said, leaning back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head, definite smirk in place.

"S-s-so, where are you guys g-going?" Tina pressed.

"That is for me to know, and Rachel to find out," Puck drawled.

"We can't even get a little hint?" Mercedes prodded.

"Nope!" Puck said, popping the _p_ loudly.

"That just ain't right," Mercedes ceded, crossing her arms.

Puck waggled his eyebrows at the ticked-off diva. "I know," he mocked.

"Why can't you tell me?" Rachel asked suddenly.

"It's a surprise," Puck shrugged. "I'll pick you up at five. Dress comfortably." He winked at her, then rose from his seat to see what Matt and Mike were up to.

"I don't think that's fair," Kurt pouted.

Rachel just smiled as she envisioned her first date with Noah Puckerman. She knew it'd be something special.

* * *

Puck was dropping off his books at his locker at the end of the day, when suddenly he was surrounded by Tina, Mercedes, Kurt, and Artie.

"Hey, guys," he hesitated.

"For the record, the only reason we're doing this is because Rachel has a killer voice and she's our friend, and if anything happens to her that would jeopardize our future in Glee history, well, we might not be held responsible for our actions," Kurt started.

"Wait, is this going to be one of those "you break her heart, we'll break your face"-type conversations?" Puck asked.

"Pretty much," Artie replied.

"Okay. Just making sure. Go on," Puck conceded, clearly amused by their concern, but not showing so as to give them the benefit of the doubt.

"Right. Okay, so, listen up, crazy white boy," Mercedes threatened. "We like you and all. But, seriously, hurt Rachel and just see what happens."

"I'm not going to hurt her," Puck said.

He began to silently wonder why no one trusted him enough not to hurt Rachel. Then it hit him with crushing force. Of course, he couldn't be trusted: he had gotten his best friend's girlfriend pregnant. Not that anyone knew. But it was the truth nonetheless. He sighed audibly.

"Are we done here?" he spoke tightly.

"But of course," Kurt insisted. He spun on his heels and sauntered toward the exit, Mercedes and Tina following close behind.

"Have fun on your date," Artie encouraged, smiling.

"Thanks, man," Puck acknowledged.

With that, Artie rolled off in search of the others.

Puck sighed once more. Maybe he should tell Rachel about the baby before they got too serious. He was already falling for her (Lord protect his manliness by admitting it), and he didn't want to lose her. Finally, he steeled in his decision to just keep his mouth shut. He deserved a little bit of happiness, and Quinn's selfishness was not going to keep him from it.

* * *

Puck jogged up the stairs of the Berry house at 4:55. He had gotten a lot better at punctuality, at Rachel's insistence of course.

Ringing the doorbell, he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. He couldn't believe he was acting like a little girl the way he was so nervous.

Rachel took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves before heading down the stairs. Her father, Raymond, opened the door.

"Hi, Mr. Berry," Puck said. "I'm Noah Puckerman."

Raymond eyed the boy who was coming to take his baby girl on her first date. He wasn't sure if he liked the Mohawk, but the boy seemed nice enough. He nodded at Puck almost imperceptibly.

"Come on in," he said in a deep baritone. "Rachel is almost ready."

"I'm ready," Rachel piped up from the stairs.

Puck watched Rachel as she came down the rest of the way. She looked really good. Her hair was in loose curls, and her makeup was done up naturally, but what he noticed was her eyes. She had some shimmery type of eye shadow that made her brown eyes pop. She had on a deep purple camisole with a light cardigan of the same color, and the skinny jeans she wore made her legs seem miles longer. On her feet were black ballet flats. Puck couldn't tear his eyes away, and she flushed under his deep scrutiny.

Rachel couldn't help but stare at Noah when she saw him. He had on a pair of fitted jeans with a green button down shirt that practically matched his hazel eyes. Complete with black Chuck Taylors and a small grin, he looked really handsome.

"Well, Noah," Ethan, Rachel's other father, broke the silent staring match, "please have her home by midnight."

"Yes, sir," Puck nodded.

"Bye, Dad, Daddy!" Rachel chirped, kissing her fathers on their cheeks.

Grabbing Noah's hand, she led him out of the house to his truck. As they got settled in the vehicle, he reached over and clasped his hand with hers again.

"You look really pretty tonight," he whispered.

"You too," she breathed.

"Oh really? You think I'm pretty, Berry?" he joked.

"You know what I mean," she teased, scrunching her nose in the way Puck always found adorable.

"Yeah, yeah," he winked.

"Where are we going?" Rachel implored as she noticed Puck getting on the interstate.

"You'll see," Puck responded mysteriously.

* * *

They had been driving for a good forty-five minutes when Rachel had had enough suspense.

"Are you kidnapping me?" she finally demanded as they passed the sign for Villa Nova, Ohio.

Puck let out a snort. "Why in the world would the first thing you assume be that I'm kidnapping you?!"

"I don't know," Rachel giggled. "It sounded more logical in my head."

"My note told you, Crazy," Puck reminded her. "We're heading out of this town."

"You are insufferable when you are sneaky, did you know that?" she huffed.

"So they say," Puck retorted. He glanced out the corner of his eyes to see Rachel frowning in serious concentration.

"Come on," Puck crooned, rubbing circles on her palm with his thumb. "You want to be surprised, don't you?"

She shifted to look at him. "Okay," she pouted.

He grinned at her, and she couldn't help but smile right back. When they turned in the parking lot, Rachel's eyes were assaulted by thousands of bright, colorful lights.

"We're at a carnival?" Rachel asked.

Puck got out of the truck and internally braced himself for Rachel to mock and laugh at him. A carnival was kind of cheesy, but Puck thought it'd be fun. He uncertainly turned to Rachel as he opened the door for her to step down.

"We're really at a carnival?" she repeated her question, this time with Puck looking at the awe on her face and excitement evident in her voice.

"Yeah," he said. "I hope that's okay."

He watched a smile slowly stretch across her face. Puck felt a little less nervous.

"We're at a carnival!" she squealed. "I've never been to one before! Oh, Noah, how did you know?" she asked, turning to Puck and grasping at his arm.

"I just thought it would be fun," Puck shrugged. "Are you okay with this?"

"I am so excited! Come on! Let's go!" she shrieked, grabbing his hand and rushing him to the entrance. Puck just smiled and shook his head all the way.

He bought their tickets as Rachel chattered on something about _State Fair_ and how it was funny that even though he had a girly name, Dana Andrews was one of the handsomest men in the 1940s.

Suddenly, Rachel skipped ahead of Puck, singing her heart out.

_It's a grand night for singing,_

_The moon is flying high, _

_And somewhere a bird _

_Who is bound he'll be heard _

_Is throwing his heart at the sky! _

She spun around throwing her arms out from their place at her chest in what Puck considered the quintessential musical moment.

"Do you really connect everything to a musical?" Puck snickered.

"It is a wonderful yet underrated Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Noah," Rachel persisted.

"I'm sure it is, babe," Puck said, snaking his arm around Rachel's waist and leading her to a game booth.

Rachel felt a surge of warmth through her body at the way the word _babe_ slipped so easily off his tongue.

"Step right up! Knock down the pins, and win your little lady a prize!" the game operator shouted.

Puck glanced at Rachel expectantly, and she nodded, eyes sparkling.

"Okay, then," he said, squeezing her hand for good luck.

"Go Noah!" she clapped her hands and jumped up and down.

Puck took the three small balls and launched the first one at the milk bottles. He easily knocked them all down on the first try. The operator indicated a variety of prizes for Rachel to choose from. She chose a teddy bear with a green bow tie.

"Thank you, Noah!" Rachel gushed. "My bear is perfect!"

Puck seriously felt like _the man_ having Rachel beam at him like that.

"You're welcome, Rach," he smiled.

They walked along the carnival hand-in-hand. Puck made Rachel try some of his cotton candy, and Rachel insisted on winning a prize for him. She totally owned the Whack-a-Mole game, and he tried a pair of neon orange oversized sunglasses.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"Oh, so handsome," Rachel flattered him, batting her eyelashes at him.

Eventually, he picked a kazoo Rachel said he could give to Nina if he wanted. He pouted and claimed he wanted to see if Mr. Schue would let him perform a kazoo solo at Sectionals. They laughed all the way to the spinning teacups. Rachel told Puck it was her favorite ride at Disney World so they simply had to ride it here.

"I'm the fastest spinner," she claimed proudly.

"Let's do it!" he challenged.

They hopped in and spun to their hearts' content. They were still dizzy when they got off the ride. Puck grabbed her hand once more and reveled in the warmth her presence made in his life.

Suddenly, Rachel pulled from his grasp and put about three feet of space between them. He looked at her confusedly.

"Is something wrong?" Puck asked.

Then he followed her nervous gaze to see Santana, Brittany, Matt, and Mike carousing down the pathway headed straight for them. Finally, the pieces fit together.

"I just didn't know if you wanted to be seen with me," Rachel whispered.

Puck crossed the space between them in one long stride. He pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Of _course_ I want to be seen with you," he whispered back.

She looked up at him with shining eyes.

"You sure?" she fretted.

"Yes," he declared. "Let's go. Maybe they won't see us anyway." He winked at her and pulled her close.

Brittany was the first to spot the couple.

"Rachel!" she exclaimed, skipping toward the petite brunette.

"Hi, Brittany!" Rachel replied happily. "Santana, Matt, Mike, good to see you."

"Hey, Rachel, Puck," Mike greeted her. Santana gave a small smile, and Matt chimed his hello.

"Hey, guys," Puck said, reaching out to slap Matt and Mike's hands.

"Are you having fun?" Mike asked. "I see you have a nice prize there, Miss Berry," he teased, playfully nudging her side.

Santana smiled but rolled her eyes as she grabbed Mike's hand.

Puck looked at them in surprise, and Rachel noticed that Matt and Brittany were hand-in-hand as well.

"Um, were you not all at one point dating the other person's date?" Rachel questioned, pointing to each Cheerio and the other football players.

Brittany and Santana giggled at how crazy their situation did appear. Matt blushed sheepishly.

"Well, we had so many double dates that Matt and I realized we were better off as friends and that we liked Brittany and Mike, respectively," Santana explained.

"And, I liked Santana too, and it turns out Britt here had a thing for Matt," Mike agreed. "Kinda weird, huh?"

Rachel and Puck shared a look.

"Yeah, you could say that," Puck said in astonishment.

"Well, I want to ride the bumper cars! Let's go!" Brittany cried. "Bye, Rachel! Bye, Puck!"

The three couples said their goodbyes, and Rachel watched Puck shake his head as if to get the situation to make sense in his brain.

"Wow. So weird," Puck muttered. "Just when you think you know people, they go and surprise the heck out of you."

"Some people would say the same about us, don't you think?" Rachel said reflectively.

Puck looked down at Rachel beaming at him. "I guess they probably would, Berry." He then threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"Wanna ride the Ferris wheel?" he offered.

"Sure!" Rachel said, nuzzling closer to Puck's side.

Once they settled in their seat, the ride clanked and sputtered and began with a jerk. Rachel immediately stiffened.

"Whoa," she gasped, eyes wide with fear.

"Are you okay?" Puck questioned.

"I-I think I might be afraid of heights," she confessed. "It's never been proven seeing as how I've never really attended a fair or any other event to have tested my theory of having acrophobia, but being here on this fairly rickety ride has sharpened my awareness of the–"

Just then, the ride jerked again and came to a stop, and they were at the very top. Rachel took one look at the height at which they were currently sitting and buried her face into Puck's side.

"Hey, hey, hey," Puck coaxed.

He traced his finger down Rachel's cheek and guided her face out from his chest with a finger to her chin.

"Look at me," he whispered.

Rachel forced her brown eyes open to meet Puck's hazel ones.

"I won't let anything happen to you," Puck told her firmly. "Okay?"

She nodded slightly, and Puck saw her eyes flicker from his eyes to his lips and back again. Licking his lips slightly and moving slowly to give her enough time, Puck lowered his lips to Rachel's.

The moment their lips met, Rachel's heart flip-flopped. She pushed her lips on Puck's more forcibly, but Puck held his control. His hand traveled from the side of her face to behind her head and knotted his fingers in her hair. He hesitantly ran his tongue against her lower lip, and she allowed him to explore her mouth. He thought he'd never tasted anything so delicious. The scent of strawberry cupcakes wasn't just in her hair; it was a taste on her lips, on her tongue. It drove Puck insane.

Rachel shifted in her seat to wind her arms around Puck's neck. He was so gentle, but firm; he took control, for which Rachel, having no experience, was grateful. His kiss was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Finn's kiss had made her feel comfortable, but Puck's kiss made her feel _alive_. When they finally parted for air, Rachel felt dizzy. From the kiss or the ride, she wasn't so sure.

They were both breathing heavily after that series of kisses, and Rachel blushed, hoping she'd done all right. Puck sensed her nerves, so he dipped his head once more and kissed her cheek chastely.

"You have no idea how long I wanted to do that," he breathed in her ear.

"Me too," she admitted quietly.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise, but she just bit her now swollen lower lip and smiled.

Somewhere between the kiss and the subsequent happiness that filled Rachel's being, the Ferris wheel dropped them off safely back on the ground. Seeing that it was getting late and they still had about an hour's drive, Puck grabbed Rachel's hand and led her toward the exit.

Rachel practically floated to Puck's truck, mildly aware of everyone else around. As they reached his truck, Puck leaned over to open the passenger door for Rachel but stopped suddenly and backed her against the door. Rachel's eyes flew to him in surprise. He inched closer to her, and she felt the heat radiating from his body. Her breathing came in spurts as he boxed her in with arms on either side of her head. His gaze was hazy as he smirked down at her.

"What do you think you're doing, Mister?" she asked, her voice low and sultry even to her own ears.

"Giving you your goodnight kiss," Puck said huskily.

Rachel reached up to rest her hands on his chest, and Puck felt his muscles contract at her touch.

"You do realize that a goodnight kiss usually takes place on the front porch of the girl's house?" Rachel teased.

"I do," Puck answered, leaning close to Rachel's ear. "But I also realize that if we get carried away out here, I don't have to worry about your fathers barreling down the door with a shotgun," he breathed.

He then kissed the spot right under her ear, her pulse point, every inch of her jaw, and finally her lips. Rachel gasped at the slow, sensual contact, and when his lips finally claimed hers, she responded eagerly. Her hands roamed his chest, rubbing over his pectoral muscles, making Puck groan in the back of his throat. He grabbed at her hips and pulled her closer to him as he backed them both against the truck. She made this cute whimpering noise, almost like a soft mewing, as he attacked her neck, and it about drove him mad. Rachel leaned her head back to give him easier access. She tingled from her head to her toes. Kissing Puck was a heady experience.

He kissed his way back to her lips for one last lingering kiss before releasing her. With those noises she made and the sweet taste of her skin, he was lucky he hadn't lost control completely. Her eyes were a little glazed, her hair a bit mussed, and he didn't think she'd ever looked more beautiful.

He nipped at her nose playfully before finally opening the door for her to climb in the truck. She smiled the whole way home, her hand held securely in his, and her mind internally sighing at the happy sensation she felt.

Is this what every date with Noah would be like? She certainly hoped so.

* * *

**AN2: Note lyrics: "Get Out of This Town" by Carrie Underwood (from her CD _Carnival Ride_, get it? lol)  
**

**AN3: Hope you guys liked this chapter!! I know I liked writing it! ha! ;o) Anyway, I was super excited to see GLEE win the People's Choice Award for best new TV Comedy! I was even more stoked to see the Mark Salling sighting early in the broadcast! (HOTNESS!) I just wish their acceptance speech hadn't been hijacked for stupid product placement! Oh well! They won!! I totally squealed out loud and succeeded in freaking out my sleeping dog next to me! She was like, WTF, mate?! haha! **

**Remember, R&R = Love! :o)**


	13. Close Enough

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait. So, yeah, sometimes my fingers are weird. Example? This chapter. I'm really not sure how this chapter came out from my notes and outlines, but it did. I swear my little fingers have minds of their own! lol Hope you guys like it anyway!**

**Oh, so, I don't like asking for numbers, because I am honestly floored by the responses I get each chapter! (Thanks a bunch!) But! Seeing as how I am SOOOO close to 200, do you think we can make it happen?? I know you guys can do it! ****Please R&R! :o)  
**

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* * *

Chapter 13: Close Enough**_

Kurt was on the warpath. Rachel had been evading his phone calls and texts all weekend, only sating his gossip-hungry appetite with texts like "It was great!" and "I'll tell you about it Monday ;-)" when he could have _sworn_ he demanded she call him first thing Saturday morning with the juicy details. Kurt just _had_ to get his information fix before first period. He set his sights on Rachel, who was gathering books from her locker, completely unaware that she was about to be pounced upon by the irked fashionista.

Rachel was thinking about asking Noah and Nina to dinner with her and her dads today when she saw Kurt coming down the hall to her left. She steeled herself for the diva inquisition she knew was about to happen. Then, she saw out of the corner of her eye Noah coming to meet her from the right. Smiling to herself, she felt instantly happier.

Kurt made it to her first.

"You're in trouble. But first things first. How was last night? Did you have fun? Was he sweet? Did he kiss you?" Kurt ambushed her.

Before she could even speak, Puck came up and dropped a kiss on Rachel's lips.

"Hey, babe," he said into her lips.

She beamed at him and blushed as she turned back to Kurt, who was looking at them with widened eyes and a smile that stretched across his face.

"Never mind. My questions have been answered," he grinned knowingly. He fluttered his fingers in a goodbye wave, giving the new couple some alone time before class.

Rachel giggled as Kurt practically skipped down the hall, most likely en route to tell Mercedes and Tina the good news. Puck rolled his eyes but then turned his attention back to the tiny brunette beside him. She tiptoed to kiss him again on the cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Puck raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"You just saved me from having to go into in-depth detail of our date for Kurt," she remarked.

Puck chuckled at the look on Kurt's face as he approached Rachel a few moments ago. Yep, Kurt had looked like he was going to pounce on Rachel.

"Bummer, I thought you'd be willing to relive every single moment of our _magical_ night," he exaggerated with a smirk, leaning on the locker beside Rachel's.

"Oh, I did. The whole weekend," she drew out. "Especially the best parts."

Rachel decided she liked being playful. Puck made her giddy as a schoolgirl, but it was at least better than her previous uptight self. Rachel never considered herself a needy person. In fact, she prided herself on being very self sufficient and independent. But, being with Puck had awakened new urges and excitement in her. How was she supposed to even be next him and not want to _kiss_ him? She was just so new to this relationship thing.

"And what parts would those be?" he teased.

Rachel grinned at the smirk on Puck's face. "I think you know," she replied cheekily.

"Yeah," he pretended to think about it, "but I think I want you to tell me," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Just shut up and kiss me already," she whispered breathily.

She tugged on his jacket, and he smirked at her aggressiveness. His girl was a take charge kind of woman. Sweet.

"Happy to oblige ma'am," he murmured as he dipped his head to kiss her plump, puckered lips.

Not usually one for public displays of affection, Rachel couldn't help herself when she wound her arms around Puck's neck to kiss him a little harder. Puck lightly bit down on her bottom lip when he felt a presence beside him.

"Um, hey guys."

The two broke apart in surprise to find Finn standing awkwardly beside them. Rachel blushed at being caught in such an intimate position, but she leaned closer to Puck's side. Puck gauged her reaction, silently cheering for the fact that she didn't seem flustered because it was Finn, but just from being caught in the first place.

"Good morning, Finn," Rachel spoke politely. "How are you this morning?"

"Uh, fine, Rachel," Finn stammered. "Puck, can I ask a favor?"

Puck eyed him. His mind instantly assumed it was about Quinn or the baby. "What's up, man?"

"I need to borrow some gas money. Quinn has a doctor's appointment after school, and I told her I'd take her," Finn admitted. "I promise I'll pay you back," he added.

Puck was more than a little irritated that Finn couldn't even keep gas in his truck, yet Quinn wouldn't even let Puck give her any money or any sort of help. He would totally be a responsible father, but she insisted on doing it with _Finn's_ help instead.

"Dude, we have football practice today. Remember? Tanaka added a day because we have the big game on Friday," Puck bit out.

"Oh, that's right," Finn groaned. "What am I going to do? I promised Quinn!"

Puck resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Rachel spoke up.

"I would be more than willing to accompany Quinn to her obstetrician's appointment," she offered.

Puck and Finn both looked at her in surprise. Puck wasn't sure if he really wanted his girlfriend taking his baby mama to the doctor, but seeing as he couldn't exactly have a say, he kept his mouth shut. Finn, on the other hand, looked at Rachel as if she'd handed him the world.

"You'd do that?" Finn asked.

"Of course, Finn," Rachel brushed it off. "That is what friends do for each other," she said as she casually looped her arm through Puck's.

Puck immediately relaxed and smiled to himself at Rachel's words. Rachel was his girl, and she had made that clear to Finn. His chest imperceptibly puffed out in pride. Rachel felt Puck relax beside her, and she smiled. She was making sure Finn knew she was offering as a _friend_ and not because of some unrequited affection.

"I really appreciate this, Rachel," Finn gushed.

"It really is no problem at all. Please just make sure it is okay with Quinn first," Rachel reminded.

"Sure, sure. I'll do that right now," Finn said, rushing off.

"Later, man," Puck called after him. He shook his head with a grin.

"You know that's really cool of you to do that for Quinn," he said, nudging Rachel. They began walking to Rachel's first class.

"As I told Finn, it's not a problem. You and Finn have a football rehearsal, and I was going to ask you and Nina over for dinner tonight while your mom worked, so I'd have to wait for you anyway," Rachel explained with a smile.

Puck smiled at her, a real genuine smile. Rachel couldn't help but feel warm under his gaze.

"Dinner?" he asked, ears perking up. "You sure know a way to man's heart."

Rachel giggled. "I'll take that as a yes?"

"Sure, after football _practice_," he emphasized playfully, "I'll get Nina and come over to your house."

"Sounds perfect," Rachel agreed.

Puck mentally marveled at how normal it was being in a relationship, and in one with Rachel Berry at that. He was used to being the stud who appreciated one night stands and cougars. He was just so new to the whole relationship thing. He found that he was actually happy being a boyfriend and doing normal things like walking to class or eating dinner together. Mind you, he had no intentions of being completely whipped. But something about being with Rachel made him laugh at himself, knowing full well that soon enough, he would be henpecked.

"Oh, Dad and Daddy will be there too, so you will get to meet them properly," Rachel mentioned absently.

Puck stiffened. He was not a meet-the-parents-type guy. Especially fathers.

"Really?" he asked, working his voice down to a normal octave.

"Don't tell me big, bad, manly Puck is worried about having a casual dinner at my house with my overprotective fathers?" Rachel cooed, eyes gleaming with mischief.

Rachel laughed at the horror on his face.

"Hey, they didn't seem that overprotective to me!" Puck countered. "I mean, they did let you go out with me," he scoffed.

"I am only teasing you, Noah. They are excited to really meet you and your sister," she giggled.

"Well, okay," he conceded. "Just call me when you're done taking Quinn to the doctor."

"Have a good day, Noah," she said, again reaching up to peck him on the lips.

"See you at lunch," he replied, dropping her off at her first class.

She turned to give him one last smile before heading through the door. Puck gave her a quick wave and headed to class. Puck thought once again to himself that it was probably a good thing that Rachel was taking Quinn to the doctor. He knew he'd hear all about it later that night, and he'd pretend like he was barely interested when in reality, he would be having a hard time not asking too many questions. Yeah, if he couldn't take Quinn to the doctor, at least Rachel was doing it. That was close enough.

* * *

Rachel and Quinn sat nervously in the doctor's office, each anxious for different reasons. Rachel was worried that she had overstepped a boundary by offering to take Quinn, while Quinn was just hoping for a healthy report to give to Terri Schuester.

"Quinn Fabray," the nurse called out.

Quinn got up to follow the nurse but turned back to Rachel who was flipping through a _Women's Health_ magazine.

"Want to come, Rachel?" she asked quietly, nodding to the door.

"Oh!" Rachel said, flustered. "Sure, if you want me to."

Quinn smiled gratefully, and Rachel got the feeling Quinn didn't want to do this alone.

Quinn quickly changed into her gown and waited for the doctor. A nice older woman came in and greeted the girls.

"Hello, Quinn," she said.

"Hi, Dr. Marcia," Quinn replied. "This is Rachel. We're in Glee together," she introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Rachel smiled politely from her chair.

Dr. Marcia smiled and proceeded to put the ultrasound jelly on Quinn's stomach and began probing around.

"Well, Quinn, you're, what, almost five months along? Looks like that inn-y belly button won't be there for too much longer," Dr. Marcia laughed gently.

Quinn giggled nervously. "Um, yeah, guess, you're right."

"Everything looks very good. She's a good size; everything looks to be developing quite nicely. Oh, fun fact: you now have a uterus inside a uterus."

"What?!" Quinn screeched, instantly panicked.

Dr. Marcia smiled and put a hand gently on Quinn's shoulder, easing her back down on the table. "I'm just saying that your little girl's uterus develops around the 18th week or so. I thought it'd be kind of an interesting fact to know. I'm so sorry if I scared you," she apologized.

"Oh, it's okay," Quinn mumbled.

Rachel gave her a smile from where she sat, and Quinn nestled back down to her lying position.

"Any questions for me, Quinn?" the kind doctor asked.

Quinn shook her head no, so Dr. Marcia explained she was to return in a month's time. Quinn changed, and Rachel waited outside to take her home.

"Thanks for taking me today, Rachel," Quinn spoke up suddenly.

Rachel looked over at the pretty blonde, who suddenly looked like a scared, little girl.

"You're welcome," Rachel said quietly.

They sat silently in the car for awhile when Rachel realized she didn't know the way to Quinn's house.

"Quinn, how do I get to your house?" she asked.

Quinn visibly shrunk in her seat. "I don't live there anymore," the former cheerleader admitted softly.

"What? Where are you staying?" Rachel questioned, willing herself not to go into problem-fixer mode.

"My parents found out about the baby. Daddy kicked me out. I've been staying with Finn and his mom," Quinn explained.

"Oh, Quinn, I am so sorry to hear of your current predicament. Is there anything I can do?" Rachel inquired.

"No, but thanks. I just really appreciate you taking me today when Finn couldn't," Quinn said with a half smile.

"All right," Rachel gave in. If Quinn didn't want her help, she wasn't going to pry and push her.

"Hey, Rachel, can we go to the mall?" Quinn asked. "I'm really craving a cinnamon pretzel."

Rachel looked at the clock on her dash. They had plenty of time before the boys were done with football. "Sure, that sounds like a delicious snack."

The girls hurried to the mall, and they window shopped as they munched on their pretzels.

Rachel insisted they stop in the music store when she saw a beginner's piano book.

"Noah's sister would love this!" she justified her purchase.

Quinn laughed. "You know, you and Puck are really good for each other."

"You think so?" Rachel asked honestly.

"Mmhmm," Quinn nodded. "You kind of balance each other out."

"That's quite an astute and succinct observation, Quinn," Rachel commended. "I like that: we balance each other. Hmmm," she said, smiling to herself.

Quinn then told Rachel the whole story about Finn serenading her in front of her parents. They laughed at his crazy song choice, even though at the time, it was horrifying.

"Poor Finn!" Rachel exclaimed through her tears of laughter. "I am surprised your father allowed him to get as far into the song as he did!"

Quinn was laughing just as hard. "I know!"

There they were, two polar opposites laughing at the boy they used to have in common, and Rachel realized something. It was almost like they were friends. At least it seemed they were not bitter enemies anymore. And that's close enough, right?

* * *

After football practice, Finn talked to Puck in the next shower.

"So, you and Rachel are official now?" Finn asked casually.

"Yes, we are," Puck said, instantly irritated.

He waited, expecting a _be careful_, or a _be good to her_, or a _don't hurt her_.

But all he got was an honest "Cool. I'm glad for you."

Puck stared at him in confusion. He would never understand Finn.

"So, I was, um, wondering something," Finn stumbled.

"What?" Puck asked, still not convinced he wasn't going to hear a lecture about dating Rachel.

"Will you, uh, be Drizzle's godfather?" Finn hesitated.

Puck almost dropped his soap. "Wha-what?" he stammered.

"Yeah, Quinn asked Santana and Brittany to be the godmothers. Brittany keeps asking about her fairy wand," Finn chuckled.

Puck's mind was reeling. Quinn and Finn were keeping the baby?

"So, Quinn is thinking about keeping the baby now?" he questioned.

"Well, I don't know, man, but I figured if we kinda had a little support group set up around us, Quinn would see we could do this. Together," Finn explained.

"Oh," Puck said quietly.

"But, Quinn asked the girls, so maybe she's thinking about it?" Finn offered.

"I guess," Puck answered, looking straight ahead and hoping his face wasn't giving away any emotion, even though his insides were freaking out.

"So, you'll do it? Be Drizzle's godfather?" Finn called out again.

Puck's air supply constricted at the word. "Yeah, man, that could be cool."

Finn whooped at his response. "You could be Uncle Puck! Just like that John Candy movie!" Finn cried.

"Uncle Buck?" Puck clarified.

"Yeah! Buck, Puck, whatever! It's close enough!" Finn laughed. "Later, man!"

Puck grunted his goodbye and slowly headed out to the showers.

_Godfather. Yeah, close enough.

* * *

_

**AN2: So, yeah, I don't know if or how it got a little angsty but I hope you guys didn't hate this chapter or anything! Please reassure me! ;o)**

**AN2.5: I forgot to mention that I'm not necessarily going by the Glee timeline here, so if Quinn's pregnancy months seem a little off, that's because this is another place where my story is a bit AU :) Thanks for understanding!  
**

**AN3: I feel like I'm kind of going through a slight writer's block. If you guys have any suggestions to get out of my funk or things you'd possibly like to see in this story, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Sorry for sounding so needy in this note! I'm not usually like this! LOL  
**

**AN4: I've never offered this, but since I really want feedback on this chapter especially, I'm willing to give it a try! 200th reviewer gets a special one-shot of their choice! They give me the ship and scenario, and I try to do it justice! I dunno if you guys are into that sort of thing, but since I'm so nervous about this chapter, I'm willing to bribe! hehehe**

**Remember, R&R=Love! :o)**


	14. No One Else

**AN: I feel like I'm apologizing a lot lately, but I really am SO sorry about the long wait on this chapter! I was fully planning on having this up by last Friday, but I was maid of honor in my best friend's wedding. So I was in the North Georgia Mountains all last weekend! Hence, not having time to get the chapter up for you guys! Again, I apologize for slacking! **

**Oh! I got to (and beyond) my goal of 200 reviews! You guys rock my socks off! Seriously! Thanks so much! Please R&R this chapter! It would totally make my day! ;o)**

_**

* * *

Chapter 14: No One Else**_

"Nina, come on!" Puck called from Rachel's front porch.

He was trying to keep the irritation out of his voice, but it was not working. He was frustrated at the talk he had with Finn, and now his sister would not get away from the tree in Rachel's front yard.

"Did you see it, Noah?" Nina cried excitedly. She bounded up the steps to stand by her big brother.

"Yes, I saw it, Squirt," Puck said gently, rolling his eyes at her.

She scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue at him. He chuckled as he rang the doorbell. They heard a loud voice yelling inside, "Coming!"

"Hi!" Rachel said cheerfully, simultaneously flinging open the door and catching Nina who launched herself into Rachel's arms.

"Well, hello, Nina!" she giggled.

"Rachel! I've missed you!" Nina said, hugging Rachel around the waist.

Rachel's heart melted a little at the love Nina showed her even though they only met just recently. Rachel's eyes conveyed just that to Puck, and he smiled in return. He made it a point to push away any thoughts about his upsetting afternoon. Rachel knew him too well, and if she suspected anything, he wouldn't know how to answer. He studied her as she and Nina talked quietly in the front hall of the Berry home. If she noticed anything was off with his attitude, she didn't mention it.

"Oh! Rachel!" Nina gasped suddenly. "We saw a cya…a cyano…what's it officially called again, Noah?" she questioned, bouncing up and down in place.

"_Cyanocitta cristata_," he answered, carefully pronouncing each syllable.

"Excuse me? A what?" Rachel asked.

"A blue jay!" answered Ethan, as he came around the corner from the kitchen.

"Yes!" Nina exclaimed. "How did you know?" she asked, eyes wide with admiration at Rachel's father.

"Yes, Daddy, how _did_ you know?" Rachel asked unbelieving that she was the one out of the loop.

"What can I say? I'm kind of a bird guy," Ethan said smugly, adjusting his glasses for show.

Rachel giggled at his silly behavior. Puck chuckled as he reached out to shake Ethan's hand.

"Noah loves birds too!" Nina chirped.

Puck inwardly groaned at the amount of personal information his sister was intent on giving out to the Berry family.

"Oh really?" Rachel echoed, smirking at Puck's embarrassed face.

"Yeah!" Nina said excitedly, tugging on Puck's arm. "He knows all about birds, especially the corvideos."

"Corvids, Nina Bean," Puck whispered.

"That's what I _said_," Nina replied exasperatedly.

Rachel and Ethan stifled a giggle as Raymond came to greet the guests.

"Well, who do we have here?" Raymond bellowed.

"Hi! I'm Nina! Noah's sister," Nina wasted no time in introducing herself.

She looked up at the tall African American man with a smile. He smiled at her and shook her hand graciously.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nina," he said with a fond smile. "So, what's this I hear about two bird lovers in one room?"

Noah laughed nervously as he reached to shake the taller man's hand. "Yes sir, um, I enjoy studying about birds," he explained quietly.

Rachel mentally shook her head at the little known fact about Noah. He always seemed to have such a tough exterior. One would never expect to learn that he enjoyed watching and identifying birds. She decided to keep this nugget of information in her memory bank for the future.

As Ethan, Noah, and Nina wandered into the living room chattering on about magpies and crows, Rachel and Raymond finished the spaghetti in the kitchen. Raymond watched as his little girl kept sneaking glances at the rugged boy with the Mohawk sitting in the next room.

"Is he good to you, Rachel?" he asked gently.

Rachel flushed at being caught staring at her boyfriend. "Yes sir, he's the perfect gentleman," she sighed.

Raymond knew about Noah Puckerman. Not many fathers in Lima were oblivious to the rumors about his reputation. Still, if his star said Noah was a gentleman, then he was a gentleman.

"Just guard your heart, Pumpkin," Raymond advised.

He smiled at his beautiful daughter. Seeing her happy made him happy; he just wanted her to be careful. She hugged him tightly and went to find the others.

"Dinner is ready!" Rachel announced.

"Yay!" Nina cheered.

Once they were all settled around the table—Nina and Ethan on one side, Rachel and Noah on the other, and Raymond at the head—they began passing the bread and salad around.

"Thank you so much for having us for dinner," Puck spoke up between bites.

"It's not a problem at all," Ethan assured him. "Anytime your mother is working late and you would like to join us, you both are more than welcome."

"Your cooking is much better than Noah's, Mr. Berry," Nina said glancing between the two, unsure of which one to thank.

"Thank you, Nina," Raymond said. "Why don't you call us Mr. Ethan and Mr. Ray so it doesn't get too confusing?" he suggested with a smile.

"Okay, Mr. Ray!" Nina agreed. "That rhymed," she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

Puck glanced to the sky as if asking the ceiling for some help. Rachel poked him for being mean. He winked at her, and she blushed. The interaction did not go unnoticed by her fathers, but they smiled and resumed eating.

While he was eating, Puck used his left hand to draw lazy circles on Rachel's leg under the table, teasing the hem of her skirt. He wasn't even intending to flirt; in fact, neither of them realized he was doing it. However, after he noticed a few nervous glances from one father to the other to his hand under the table, he understood what he had been doing. So, Puck casually moved his hand and placed it on the back of Rachel's chair, absently playing with her hair. She smiled at him, still unaware of the whole situation; it was just a natural thing for him to be near her and in slight contact.

Later that evening, Rachel, Puck, and Nina got out some of Rachel's old board games and decided to play Clue. Raymond and Ethan cleared the table and did the dishes, not minding that Rachel wanted to entertain her guests. They watched the new couple and the cute little girl play the game; the kids were sitting on the floor, and Rachel leaned close into Puck's side.

"They're a cute couple," Ethan noted absently.

"Yes, I was thinking how relaxed the two are with each other for only having dated a short time," Ray commented.

"They remind me of us when we were that age," Ethan teased.

Raymond nodded, thinking back to what seemed like so long ago. "Me too, dear."

Ethan patted his hand on Ray's shoulder, knowing he was the more worrisome of the two. "She's a smart girl, Raymond."

Ray smiled widely at how well his partner knew him.

After they finished the dishes, Nina convinced Ethan and Ray to join them for a rousing game of Crazy Eights. Of course, Nina won. Pretty soon, it was time for the two Puckermans to leave. Rachel walked them to Puck's truck. Nina climbed in and got settled quickly, and Puck enveloped Rachel in a gentle hug. She rested her head on his chest while he laid his chin on her head.

"I had so much fun tonight," Rachel said.

"Me too. I know Nina did too," Puck replied. "Your dads are cool. You know me and dads don't normally mix," he stated sheepishly.

"They liked you too," Rachel stated.

Lifting her head gently, Rachel met her lips to Noah's in a loving kiss. It didn't matter that they weren't "making out" or anything, Rachel's heart still fluttered. It amazed her how much one person could affect her so much.

"Oh, before I forget, the big game is Friday. Will my girl be there to cheer me on?" Puck asked with a wink.

"Well, I will have to study about the game of American football on Wikipedia to make sure I understand the rules and terminology, but I would be delighted to give you and the team my moral support," Rachel responded diplomatically.

Puck snorted in laughter. "A yes was all I needed to hear, silly girl," he whispered, his hot breath tickling her ear.

A faint blush painted Rachel's cheeks. "Oh. Of course," she giggled at herself. She was learning to cut down her words, but old habits die hard.

"I'll see you tomorrow. At lunch, we can have a crash course on football," he suggested, tickling her sides.

"Sounds perfect," she replied.

With one more quick kiss, Noah hopped in his truck and drove off with Rachel smiling to herself at how much life had changed for the better.

* * *

Later that week, Rachel and Puck headed into Glee rehearsal hand in hand to find some unusual groupings. The Cheerios were teaching Mercedes and Tina some kind of step routine, while Kurt played with Quinn's hair as they talked excitedly in the corner. Artie had busted out his guitar and Finn was on the drums as Matt and Mike practiced their dance moves. Rachel smiled at Mr. Schuester's astonished look at the bonding that was happening.

"Okay, guys, we're going to spend part of this rehearsal finding the perfect duet for Rachel and Puck to perform at Sectionals," Mr. Schue explained. He handed a stack of music to the two.

"I can't believe Sectionals is in three weeks!" Mercedes exclaimed.

"I'll barely be able to finish the costumes," Kurt worried. "Everyone has to look fierce!"

Rachel glanced at Puck who was looking at the music Mr. Schue had given them. As the group chatted about the other songs for the set list, she asked Puck which ones he wanted to try out.

"Definitely not 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight?' or 'A Whole New World,'" he said.

Rachel pouted playfully, but Puck stood his ground.

"Sorry, babe, no Disney for me. I do have a rep to keep," he teased.

"Okay, fine," she relented.

"We can try these two," he handed her the music to "Written in the Stars" from _Aida_ and "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen, which technically wasn't a duet, but it worked.

"You would pick the most seductive song from _Dirty Dancing_ and the song about two lovers being kept apart by fate," Rachel said flippantly.

"What can I say? I do know how to pick 'em," Puck winked.

"Well, I like these two," Rachel said, trading the papers with Puck.

He looked at her choices: "Two Is Better Than One" by Boys Like Girls and Taylor Swift and "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie.

"These are okay, I _guess_," he sighed.

"We'll just let the group and Mr. Schuester decide then," Rachel challenged.

Puck was about to tease her with another snarky comment when Mr. Schue called them both up front to see the songs they'd chosen.

They sang each option for the group, but for songs that weren't that steamy, Rachel and Puck filled them with an extreme amount of passion.

Kurt was fanning himself by the end of "Hungry Eyes."

"Geez you two," he retorted. "You have so much chemistry you could make "Islands in the Stream" simmer with passionate heat."

The group laughed at his comment. Puck smirked at Rachel. Hey, he was a stud; it wasn't his fault his body screamed sex appeal. And Rachel? Well, she was a little hottie with the voice of an angel, so that won her points overall. But, she was _his_ little hottie, so it made it a million times better. It was just so easy to sing with her.

Rachel blushed at Kurt's comment, because she too had noticed the extreme chemistry she had with Noah. She thought Finn had been made to be her male lead, but the more she sang with Noah, the more she realized their voices melded better together. Of course, the underlying sexual tension was evident so that did help as well. She saw Puck smirking at her, and she could only imagine the dirty things he was probably thinking.

"Okay, while I wouldn't have quite worded it like that, Kurt is right," Mr. Schue said, readjusting his collar. "However, I like the idea of having the rest of the Glee club singing the choir part on 'Written in the Stars.' Are you guys comfortable with that one?" he asked.

"Absolutely, Mr. Schuester," Rachel responded.

"Yeah, that's cool," Puck shrugged.

"All right! Now that we have that settled, let's talk other songs," Mr. Schue said, rubbing his hands together as if conspiring a plot.

"What about 'Don't Stop Believing'?" Finn offered, smiling hesitantly at Rachel.

Rachel smiled back, knowing this was one of the group's favorite songs to do, so of course Mr. Schuester would OK it.

"Excellent choice, Finn. Since you have a song already, Rachel, how about we try it with Brittany on lead?" Mr. Schuester suggested.

Rachel was holding Puck's hand, and he felt her stiffen beside him. Brittany searched Rachel's eyes to see how she took the news. Rachel swallowed hard.

"I think Brittany will do great," she said carefully. "Brittany, if you want some help on the notes in your upper register, you know you can always ask," Rachel offered graciously.

"Thanks, but I won't be buying anything," Brittany replied happily.

Everyone rolled their eyes at the dumb blonde's remark. Puck squeezed Rachel's hand, and she smiled helplessly at him.

"Good girl," he whispered.

"I try to be," Rachel giggled quietly.

"Oh, well, if you want to change that, we can arrange that too," he said smoothly. "I make them good girls go bad," he kidded, waggling his eyebrows.

"Gee, thank you, Gabe Saporta," she said dryly. "But no thanks just the same," she said with a wink.

Puck just grinned, surprised she came up with a comeback to his comment and a quick one at that. He really didn't mind that she was a good girl. But it sure was fun to see her blush when he teased her about it.

The rest of rehearsal flew by, and they nailed down their final set list: Rachel and Puck's duet, "Don't Stop Believing" with Finn and Brittany, and "Proud Mary" in wheelchairs. Overall, everyone was quite pleased with the outcome. Even Rachel was pleasantly surprised at how well Brittany and Finn sounded together. She was trying so hard to tone down her diva-like tendencies, but like her vocabulary, it was easier said than done. Thankfully, she had Puck there to encourage her to be a normal teenager instead of an abrasive go-getter.

* * *

Coach Tanaka had ridden the guys hard again today in practice. Puck was worn out but when he opened his bag to get some clean clothes, he found a note. He smiled, knowing it had to be from Rachel. They had this unspoken game when it came to notes. They would always try to find song lyrics to describe how they were feeling. For Puck, it was good because he was not used to expressing his feelings through words. He enjoyed the tiny rush of excitement he felt whenever he read Rachel's notes; it made him feel twelve feet tall to have someone who cared for him as much as Rachel did.

This note was no different. Puck smiled as he read what she wrote.

_There's simply no one else  
In the world I could ever find  
Likes me when I'm low  
And still tolerates me when I'm high  
You, you got me down  
You kept comin' round  
There's simply no one else  
I could lean on a thousand times,  
Still be there again and again  
Never lose his mind,  
You know me so well,  
You can't even tell,  
That you're like no one else_

She ended it with a star. Puck shook his head and laughed a little to himself. He was pretty sure she had it all wrong. There was no one else like Rachel Berry.

**

* * *

AN2: Song Lyrics – "No One Else" (Allison Iraheta) … amazing song BTW! You should actually check out her whole CD! It pretty much rocks! :o) In case you don't know who that is, Allison Iraheta got 4th place on **_**American Idol**_** last year (the redheaded rocker chick).**

**Remember, R&R = Love! :o)**


	15. Friday Night Lights

**AN: Again, I apologize for the long wait! I'm a writer/editor for a publishing company, but we just got word that we have 7 new books due by the end of March! So, needless to say, my days have been a little hectic! On a side note, I totally appreciate your wonderful reviews and support! Oh! and I have a special note at the bottom that I didn't want to distract you too much before reading the chapter! ... lol :o) Please, R&R!  
**_**

* * *

Chapter 15: Friday Night Lights**_

Friday morning, the school was abuzz with talk of the final home football game. Rachel was caught up in the excitement of seeing Noah play for the first time. She instantly wished she'd been to a game before or at least knew more about football. She laughed at herself as she thought back to last night.

* * *

Against Noah's laughing protests, she'd Googled American football so she could get up to speed with the general rules of game play. The entire time she had been reading, he was sitting on her bed behind her ghosting his fingers up and down her sides and arms, trying to get her to pay attention to his lips, but she was insistent.

"Noah, I need to know what's going on when I watch you play," Rachel had explained firmly, although her resistance was waning every time he kissed her neck or cheek.

"Rach, I told you already that it doesn't matter that you know what's going on," Noah whined. "You just gotta cheer us on, and if you want, you can ogle me in my hot, tight football uniform," he countered with a wink. "Now can we please just watch a movie? Or _not _watch a movie?" he offered, waggling his eyebrows.

Giggling, she closed her laptop, placed it carefully on her desk, and hopped back on the bed where she snuggled up in Noah's waiting arms so they could watch a movie. Of course, she had picked _Friday Night Lights_ and _Remember the Titans_, the only two football-themed movies she'd recognized at the video store.

* * *

Now, walking the halls to her locker, she wished she'd stayed up late after he left last night and researched more. Mentally shaking her head, she saw Kurt and Mercedes waiting for her.

"Good morning!" she greeted the two cheerfully.

"Hey girl," Mercedes said. "You coming to the game tonight?"

"Of course," Rachel answered. "I'm anxious to show Noah my support in his extracurricular activities."

Seeing Mercedes' and Kurt's smiles at that statement, she quickly continued, "And seeing as you, Kurt, are also a part of the team, I'm glad we'll be able to cheer you on as well. Oh, and Mike, Matt, and Finn too, I suppose," she remembered with a smile.

"That's more like it, Sweetie," Kurt replied haughtily. "It's nice to know you haven't forgotten us lowlies now that you're dating one of the most popular boys in school," he teased.

Rachel blushed at that; she never got used to hearing that she was, in fact, in a relationship with the popular Noah Puckerman.

"Oh there she goes all starry-eyed on us again," Mercedes groaned.

Rachel giggled and swatted playfully at Mercedes who just grinned mercilessly. Turning away from her friends for a second, she noticed something in her locker. It was a small gift bag and a note.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! What is that?!" Kurt asked excitedly. "Did tall, dark, and Mohawked get you a present?" He was practically vibrating in anticipation.

Rachel plucked the note sticking out of the bag and read it:

_We should get jerseys_  
_cause we make a good team  
But yours would look better than mine  
cause you're outta my league  
__And I know that it's so cliche to tell you that every day  
I spend with you is the new best day of my life  
Everyone watching us just turns away with disgust  
It's jealousy; they can see that we've got it going on_

Mercedes squealed from her place, reading over Rachel's left shoulder. Kurt grabbed the bag from its perch on Rachel's locker shelf and peeked inside. Pulling it out, he let out his own high-pitched squeak. In his hands was an over-sized McKinley High football jersey with the number 20 on it.

"That's..." Rachel couldn't even finish the thought because of the smile spreading across her face.

"Noah's jersey number!" Kurt gushed. "Oh, how sweet!" He and Mercedes shared a swooning sigh. Rachel could not stop staring at the jersey, carefully fingering the soft material.

"Girl, you gotta wear that tonight!" Mercedes commanded. "That is just the sweetest thing; I didn't know Puck was capable of being that sweet...or cheesy."

"I'll have you know that Noah is actually quite the kind-hearted person once you get past his rough exterior," Rachel smiled knowingly. "But don't tell him I told you that," she stage whispered.

Kurt and Mercedes giggled and mimicked throwing halos over their heads and zipping their lips shut.

"Well, it needs some minor alterations," Kurt commented, eyeing the front and back. "Aww, it says PUCKERMAN on the back!" he cooed. "It must be one of our practice jerseys."

"What kind of alterations?" Rachel asked hesitantly. She liked the jersey the way it was; she didn't want it changed.

"Well, for starters, it will completely swamp your tiny frame," Kurt said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I've got some ideas though," he grinned wickedly, looking at Mercedes expectantly.

"Do you trust us?" Mercedes asked Rachel. "We can fix this by the game tonight, and I'll bring it to your house. Then, we can go together to the game."

"Okay," Rachel conceded. "That sounds like a logical solution. Please don't make me look like a slut or something," she requested.

Kurt and Mercedes burst into laughter at Rachel's blunt appeal. "No worries, darling," Kurt said flippantly. "We've got you covered. Come along, fellow diva, we have work to do," he said, linking his arms with Mercedes as they headed down the hall. "Oh, and don't tell Puck," he threw over his shoulder.

Rachel watched them walk away with a smile on her face. She was excited about the game before, but now she was downright giddy.

* * *

Puck was in such a good mood. Today was game day. The team might actually win their second game of the season. And he actually had a good reason to play harder. He had a beautiful girlfriend who would be watching from the stands. So, yeah, he was in a good mood. He even whistled all the way to class. _Whistled_. Seriously, he was so whipped by Rachel Berry it wasn't even funny. He laughed at himself for being so cheesy and getting his girl a jersey to wear, but he had a feeling Rachel liked cheesy.

He was right.

As he drove Rachel home that day, she had this dreamy, schoolgirl grin on her face, and she couldn't sit still. She hadn't said anything about the jersey, but Puck had a feeling she'd gotten in. He had seen the mile-wide smiles from Mercedes and Kurt, the thumbs up from Artie, and even smirks from Matt and Mike. Yep, he was pretty sure Rachel had gotten her present, and everyone had heard about it.

Just as the pulled into her driveway, Rachel unbuckled her seat belt and launched herself at Puck. He barely got the car in park before being assaulted by her plump, red lips. She kissed him hard and fiercely and then, all too soon, she pulled back, eyes dancing.

"Not that I don't appreciate being mauled by my hot girlfriend," Noah smirked, "but what's the occasion?"

Rachel scrunched her nose as she smiled suspiciously at his attempt at feigned innocence.

"You are the best boyfriend and the sweetest guy I know," Rachel said breathlessly. "And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

And with that, she kissed his lips briefly and hopped out of the truck.

"See you after the game!" she called out. Waving and blowing him a kiss, she skipped into the house.

Puck watched her in amazement. She was a whirlwind, that girl. But he smiled satisfactorily, because that whirlwind was _his_ girl. Oh yeah, those Perry High School losers were going down tonight if he had any say in it.

* * *

Mercedes showed up in plenty of time to get to the game. Rachel had squealed in delight at seeing what the two divas had done to her jersey. They had cinched the sides by cutting out the sides and using the scraps to tie knots down the sides. It now fit Rachel perfectly and even showed a little skin. Rachel felt sexy but strangely school-spirited. Mercedes laughed at her reaction.

"Daaaanngg, girl," Mercedes drawled, eyeing Rachel in her jersey and skinny jeans. "You look good."

Rachel did another quick spin and smiled. Hugging Mercedes tightly, she said, _"_I must show my sincerest gratitude! I am forever indebted to your and Kurt's creativity and kindness."

"Girl, please," Mercedes said, rolling her eyes, "a 'thank you' works just fine."

"Oh, right," Rachel said sheepishly.

She grabbed her favorite gray peacoat and a red wool cap with a cute buckle on the side. Adjusting the bill on her head, she remarked, "I think the back is my favorite. I can't wait till Noah sees it!"

"Well, come on then!" Mercedes laughed, pulling her out the door.

* * *

They made their way to the bleachers, waved to Mr. Schuester and Miss Pillsbury, and found Tina and Artie. Those two were sitting near the jazz band so that Artie could still play. Rachel and Mercedes decided to sit a few rows higher to get a better look. They were making themselves comfortable when Rachel saw a small blonde sitting alone on the first bleacher. Swallowing hard, she made her way to the girl.

"Quinn," Rachel said softly.

Quinn looked up at the sound of her name. Rachel was the last person the ex-cheerleader expected to see. Well, not the last person anymore, she thought to herself.

"Hey, Rachel," she said weakly.

"Do you want to sit with me and Mercedes? We're up there," Rachel offered, nodding toward Mercedes who smiled and waved.

"Oh," Quinn thought about it. "Sure, that would be great."

Rachel smiled warmly and held out her hand to help Quinn up. Quinn returned the smile and followed Rachel up the steps.

"Thanks, Rachel," Quinn said, settling down beside the brunette.

"Anytime, Quinn. What are friends for?" Rachel said absently and stopped short.

She winced, immediately regretting her slip of the tongue. She and Quinn weren't really friends. Were they? She glanced at Quinn to see how she took the statement. Much to her surprise, the blonde who used to torment her simply smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, friends," she said in slight wonder. Rachel then wondered how many "friends" Quinn had lost when she became pregnant.

"Want some popcorn?" Quinn asked, shifting the bag toward Rachel and Mercedes.

They both grabbed a small handful and said their thanks. They chatted in easy camaraderie until the game began. Quinn was surprisingly helpful when Rachel and Mercedes needed a play explained. They laughed at way Coach Tanaka''vein bulged in his forehead when he was nervous. They cheered the guys on, and Quinn even taught the other girls a little bit of the halftime dance so that they could dance from the stands.

Perry High got an early lead when they scored a touchdown in the first fifteen minutes. But it seemed the McKinley boys weren't giving up easily. By the end of third quarter, the two teams were tied with seven points each.

The fourth quarter was in a gridlock. McKinley didn't let Perry score, but they couldn't seem to score either. It was obvious to Rachel that Finn and Noah were upset at themselves. Noah angrily paced the sidelines, waiting for the defense to do their job. Finn just sat with his head in his hands. Kurt made the girls laugh from where he stood practicing his high kicks just in case he was needed again.

The girls started to get anxious in the last minute of the game. But then, Finn threw a beautiful pass to Noah. The ball spiraled through the air, and it was like watching in slow motion. Rachel began to rise from her seat, Quinn and Mercedes doing the same. Quinn unconsciously grasped Rachel's left hand as Mercedes took her right one. To their excitement, the ball landed in Noah's waiting arms, and he ran as fast as he could toward the goal line. The girls collectively held their breath.

* * *

Noah had to remember to breathe. He had the ball in his hands and the goal line in sight. As he bypassed tacklers left and right, all he could think of was winning the game and how proud Rachel would be of him. As he crossed the line for a touchdown, his ears were assaulted with cheers and yells of "All right, Puck!" and "Go McKinley!" But in the distance, he heard the loud cry of "GO NOAH!" and that one cheer was all that mattered.

* * *

Rachel, Mercedes, and Quinn all screamed and jumped up and down in pure happiness. They calmed down long enough to see the ball from Kurt's kick sail easily through the goalposts.

"Our boys won the game!" Mercedes yelled.

"I know! I'm so proud of them!"Quinn screeched.

All Rachel could do was clap and laugh. She was so proud of everyone. The students began to crowd the field, so the girls made their way down the bleachers.

Rachel scanned the field for Puck. She turned 360 degrees and saw a lot of the fans still in the stands, and she smiled. Suddenly, she felt warm hands on her waist, slowly turning her around. She was soon face to face with Puck who was grinning like a madman. He reached out to stroke her cheek, and she leaned into the touch. Then, just like in those teen comedy movies, he grabbed her closer and pressed his lips to hers. She weaved her arms around his neck and grasped at his Mohawk. She felt her cap being pulled off as his fingers tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss. Air soon became a necessity, and when they parted, he leaned his forehead against hers.

"That was all for you, baby," he said softly, looking deeply into her chocolate eyes.

"I am so proud of you, Noah," Rachel replied emphatically. "I really am."

Smiling, he pulled away and held her at arm's length as his eyes raked over her body. She was wearing jeans tucked into black boots, but her coat was covering up the one article of clothing he was anxious to see her wearing. Sensing his curiosity, she began to unbutton her jacket.

"Kurt and Mercedes made a few minor adjustments," she warned lightly. "But I think you'll appreciate them," she said with a wink. Then, she took off her coat to reveal Noah's improved jersey.

Puck was a little worried about the "adjustments" Kurt could've made to the jersey, praying he wouldn't see it bedazzled or clad in feathers. But when she finally slid the jacket off her frame, seeing Rachel's tight dancer's body in his jersey made him hot all over. The sides were knotted to show just enough of her tanned skin to drive him crazy. Tracing the tiny holes on her sides, he grinned lecherously at Rachel's expectant stare. He glanced down to notice that they'd altered the front to show a hint of cleavage that made Noah inwardly groan. His girl was such a vixen and didn't even realize it. Leaning down to claim her lips once more, he was stopped by her finger on his lips.

"Wait," she paused. "One more change," she explained as she turned around to show Puck the back of the jersey.

Where PUCKERMAN had previously been, Mercedes had sewn new lettering to make it PUCK'S GIRL.

Puck growled huskily and spun Rachel around into a deep kiss. She giggled into the kiss, and he bit lightly on her lower lip.

"So you like?" Rachel murmured between kisses.

"Mmmhhmmm," Puck hummed. "That is way hot, Berry. Seriously _hot_."

"Good. I'm glad you like it. You should thank Kurt and Mercedes," she teased.

Puck chuckled, "I'll be sure to do that."

"Victory Party at my house!" they heard Mike yell.

Puck looked at Rachel in question. "Wanna?"

He fully expected her to give him a stern look and ramble on about how they shouldn't stoop to such low forms of entertainment, but she surprised him when she smiled widely and said, "That sounds lovely."

* * *

As they walked up to Mike's house, Puck stopped Rachel from going in.

"Listen, Rach," he started. "There's probably going to be drinking going on."

"I know that, Noah," Rachel responded. "Being that alcohol is prohibited to our age bracket, it apparently makes it more appealing to high school adolescents."

Puck blinked a few times, trying to get the words to settle in his brain.

"Will you be drinking, Noah?" Rachel inquired innocently.

"Nah, not tonight," he shrugged apathetically.

"Noah, if you want to partake, please don't let me being with you stop you. I know you're a responsible person," she held onto his arm.

"Thanks, babe, but it's not you," Noah threw his arm around her shoulder, "I don't really care. I might have _a_ beer, but no partying tonight," he winked.

Rachel smiled, a dimple in her right cheek forming. "Let's go in."

"Okay. One more thing: don't take any drinks from anyone, especially those hockey meatheads, like Karofsky," he warned.

"Yes sir," she complied, pretending to salute him.

Puck grinned at her cheeky smile. "Come here, you," he said as he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.

Rachel sighed contently as he led her through the house and introduced her to some of the football players and nicer Cheerios.

"Yo, Puck! Get over here!" Matt called out, motioning for Puck to come outside.

Puck nodded his consent and turned to Rachel expectantly.

"You go ahead," she offered. "I'm going to find Quinn or maybe Brittany."

"Okay, be careful," Puck said as he made his way to Matt, Mike, Finn, and some other players.

Rachel smiled as she watched him turn down a beer and wink at her. She wandered around the house, trying to find someone she knew. Making her way to the kitchen, she saw a boy she knew from English class, Drew, she thought.

"Hey, Rachel," he garbled. "You drinking tonight?"

"No, thank you, Drew," Rachel said politely.

She looked around for some soda but had to settle for a glass of water.

"You want one?" Drew asked, shoving a tiny Dixie cup in her face.

"What is it exactly?" she asked.

"Jellooooo," he slurred, leaning haphazardly on the counter beside him.

"Oh! Okay," she complied. She had never eaten Jello without a spoon before, but the tiny cup made it easy to just toss the bite in her mouth. Without thinking, she downed a few more and took some to find Noah.

"Man, that was a sweet catch tonight!" Finn exclaimed. "We, like, read each other's minds!"

Puck chuckled at his intoxicated friend. "Yeah, dude, we're pretty awesome!"

"Totally!"

"Noah! They have snacks!" Rachel said cheerfully, handing him a few of the cups.

Puck knew what they were, but obviously Rachel didn't. And it was clear she had had a few.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, reaching for the cup she was about to shoot from. "Rachel, why are you taking Jello shots?"

"Shots?" Rachel questioned. "Drew just said it was Jello."

"How many have you had?" Puck asked, eyes wide.

"Only three, maybe four?" Rachel said unconfidently. "I wanted to share with you," she pouted.

Puck took Rachel by the shoulders and looked closely at her. She didn't seem drunk or even tipsy really, maybe just a little looser. He mentally rolled his eyes; anything to make Rachel relax a little bit and it had to be Jello shots.

"Come on, Berry, we're going home," Puck told her.

Waving to the boys who just snickered, Rachel began walking to the door. "I don't see why we need to leave, Noah. I'm hardly inebriated," she reasoned. "I didn't even realize there was alcohol in those Jello…things."

"That's the point, babe. You'd get plastered before you even realized you'd been drinking," he explained.

"Eating, technically," she corrected.

"Whatever," he grumbled playfully.

After helping Rachel in the truck, Puck began the quick drive home. Rachel sighed and let her head fall against the window. After the third sigh, Puck knew something was up.

"Rach?" he began.

"Hmm?" Rachel mumbled.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, save for the fact I feel horrible for making you leave your victory party so early. You were being so responsible not to drink even though you knew you could have if you'd wanted, and I was the one who could've been seriously 'plastered,' as you say, by the end of the evening," Rachel ranted.

Puck rolled his eyes as she went on and on. What she didn't realize was that he wasn't as into the party scene as he used to be. He guessed it was a little due to Rachel's influence, or maybe he was just maturing, or something stupid like that. He shuddered at the thought. He hoped it wasn't the maturity thing…yet at least.

Puck walked Rachel to the door and leaned in to kiss her goodnight to which she eagerly responded.

"Stay with me tonight," she breathed in his ear.

He cocked an eyebrow and looked around quickly, thinking it was a test and maybe her fathers were going to jump out the front door any second.

"Dad and Daddy are gone to Columbus for a long weekend," Rachel persuaded as they went inside the house. "I thought some company would be nice. Would your mom mind?"

"No, she knows I stay out on Friday nights after games, usually at Finn's or Chang's," he responded.

"We could do something fun tomorrow?" she suggested innocently.

Puck grinned at the double entendre in her words and took the opportunity to tease her. As he began to walk slowly toward her, she recognized his look. He looked like he might pounce if she gave him any sort of okay.

Blushing furiously, she sputtered, "I didn't mean it like that!"

The look of pure indignation on her face prompted Puck to burst out laughing. "I know, baby," Puck said pulling her into a loose hug. "I was just messing with you."

"Okay, good," she said shyly, as she played with his jacket collar and pouted her lower lip playfully.

"Let me get my gym bag out of my car," Puck said with a quick nip at that jutted out lip.

Giggling, Rachel made her way up the stairs to change into her pajamas. She wanted to be ready for bed when Puck came back. Thinking back to what she had said in the living room, she blushed again. She understood why Puck had given her that look. He was so sweet to never pressure her to do anything she didn't want to do. And while she wasn't ready to _sleep_ with him, she really wanted him to stay the night. She wanted to fall asleep in his warm arms. Wow, that sounded way too girly even in her own mind. Shaking her head, she smiled as she brushed her teeth. Puck grabbed his toothbrush out of his bag and hip-bumped Rachel away from the sink.

"You really do come prepared for 'just in case,' don't you?" Rachel teased.

"Well, you don't want to kiss me tomorrow with morning breath, now do you?" Puck winked.

"True, true," Rachel thought aloud.

They settled into Rachel's bed like they'd been doing it for months or even years. It felt right to Rachel. She didn't realize Puck was thinking the same thing. They laid there spooning with Puck's arm across Rachel's hip for a short while, when Rachel curled in closer.

"You know, I've never slept with a boy before," she whispered in the dark.

"Well I figured that," Puck teased. That remark earned him a light elbow to the stomach.

"No, I mean, even in the same bed," she said thoughtfully.

She wasn't sure why she'd mentioned that, but she felt like Puck should know that this was something special to her. Instinctively, Puck's arm tightened around her. It did mean a lot to him that she trusted him enough to sleep in the same bed with her. The old Puck would've tried to feel her up by now. But not Noah. Rachel thought too highly of him (not that he deserved it), but he wasn't about to screw that up by being a horny teenaged boy (as much as he was one at the moment).

"I like it," she admitted softly.

"Me too," Puck said just as quietly.

"You're very warm," Rachel said suddenly.

Nudging her to turn around and face him, he smirked at her. "Are you trying to tell me I'm hot, Berry?"

Even in the dark he could tell she was blushing. "No, well I mean, yes of course I find you attractive, but I was actually referring to the warmth you are emitting from your body heat," she explained awkwardly. "It's nice to cuddle with," she finished lamely.

"Oh. Well that's cool too, I _guess_," he deadpanned.

She giggled and turned back around so her back was to his strong chest. He pulled her closer once again. He listened as her breath slowly evened out, and he knew she was asleep. Finally, he allowed his eyes to close. And even though he felt like a girl, he couldn't help but think that he could get used to falling asleep with her next to him every night and waking up to her beautiful face every morning.

* * *

**AN2: Okay, my special note! I just HAD to share with you guys...One of my best friends goes to the American Academy of Drama Arts in Los Angeles, and she called me the other day to say that she saw THE MARK SALLING outside of Trader Joe's!!!!!!!! I was so jealous! She said he's just as gorgeous in real life! *sigh* She said she was in her car and he walked by and they made eye contact (!), which of course made her blush...and then! He started kinda laughing (not meanly of course) and just smiled and waved at her!!!! Mark. Salling. waved. to. my. friend. I couldn't believe it! Okay, excited rant over! :o)**

**AN3: Lyrics for the note: "Must Have Done Something Right" by Relient K**

**AN4: As you know, I love love LOVE my readers and reviewers! It takes just a second to let me know if you liked it, loved it, hated it, or any other emotion! I would really appreciate if you just drop me a quick review letting me know if you enjoyed the chapter! R****emember, R&R = Love! :o) ****Thanks SOOOO much!**


	16. Tell Me, Little Bird

**AN: Here's another chapter for you guys! Sorry for the long wait!! Life is wild. Anyway, a few of you have stated concerned about Rachel finding out about the baby (and rightfully so!); I've addressed a little bit about that in this chapter! If you can't tell already, my story timeline doesn't exactly coincide with the show. lol :o) But, I promise, things will be resolved soon. Thanks for bearing with me guys! As always, you all rock! Please R&R! :o)**

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* * *

**_**Chapter 16: Tell Me, Little Bird**_

Puck felt the heat of the sun on his face before he even opened his eyes. He rolled over, turning away from the window, to cuddle some with Rachel, but her side of the bed was cold. First, he panicked. Where did she go? She wouldn't just leave him, right? Why did it give him this awful sinking feeling? Then, it hit him. He realized what it must have felt like to be one of his countless, faceless girls. _He_ used to be the one making the bed cold every time he left a girl in the middle of the night. Granted, he and Rachel didn't have sex or anything, but he could empathize with what those girls felt. And that made him a little more than sick with himself.

Shaking off the mild case of heebie jeebies, Puck sat up slowly and listened for Rachel. He smiled when he heard her singing downstairs. He got dressed and padded downstairs where Rachel was in the kitchen icing cinnamon rolls. She had her headphones in so she didn't hear him come in. He stood in the entryway, simply content just to watch her. She was singing a song he didn't recognize, but as always, it sounded magical coming from her. She was swaying her hips to the music, fully immersed. Puck smiled as he continued to listen to her.

_Well I don't care_  
_What people say_  
_Gonna believe in love anyway_  
_All of my life I've been afraid_  
_To lose myself in seasons of change_

_So tell me, little bird _  
_All of the good things that you've heard _  
_Cause I need you, little bird _  
_To sing me a sweet song _  
_Ohh, just sing me a sweet song_

Just then, she looked up from what she was doing as if she sensed his presence. The small smile she had had on her face turned into a wide one when she saw Puck. He strolled over to the kitchen island and hugged her from behind, placing a kiss on her neck.

"Good morning," he murmured against her skin.

"Good morning, Noah," she said with contented sigh.

"These smell heavenly," he said, grabbing one from the pan. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Rachel smiled. "I wasn't sure what you normally ate in the morning, but I assumed this would be a nice treat."

"Mmm, yeah," he mumbled around bites. "These are awesome."

"So, I was thinking," she started, "I'd like to take you somewhere."

Puck looked at her with a suspicious gleam in his eyes. "What'd you have in mind?"

"It's kind of a surprise. But I want you to bring your guitar," Rachel explained.

"Okay, it's in my truck," Puck said. Grabbing another roll, he asked, "Why won't you tell me where we're going?"

Rachel flitted around the kitchen gathering other food items. "Because, Noah, I'm allowed to plan surprises too!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, I see. You're getting me back for the surprise carnival trip," Noah teased, as realization dawned on him.

"That is only a semi-accurate statement. I'm also not telling you because it's kind of an adventure, but I don't want you to think it's stupid," Rachel explained timidly.

She was smiling, but it was an embarrassed grin. He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, the scent of her strawberry shampoo filling his nostrils.

"Hey," he whispered, "going anywhere with you is an adventure that I love to take, so I won't think it's stupid."

Rachel looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. It was amazing to her yet again how much this boy meant to her, and how it came to be that way in such a short time. She was losing her heart, and surprisingly, it didn't scare her. As if he could tell she was thinking about him, he dropped a kiss on her nose and then stole his third cinnamon roll.

"Noah," she giggled, "if you continue to stuff yourself with cinnamon rolls, you won't have room for lunch."

Puck scoffed at Rachel, "Babe, I'm a guy. We are always hungry." As though it was an afterthought, he winked audaciously at her.

Laughing, Rachel reached up on the top of the refrigerator to get what looked like a basket. Unfortunately, her lack of height made that a difficult task. Coming up behind her, Puck easily plucked the basket down from its place. He placed a hand on the small of her back as he gently set the basket on the counter.

"Thanks," Rachel said, beaming at him.

"Not a problem," Puck replied.

Seeing her smile at him like that over something so small, Puck couldn't help himself when he lowered his head and captured Rachel's lips in a soft kiss. He found it strange that a kiss so sweet and gentle could be so electrifying at the same time. Then again, it was always that way with Rachel.

"If we're actually going someplace, I'm going to grab another shirt from my car," Noah said after breaking the kiss.

"Okay," Rachel replied.

While he was outside, Rachel began to pack some lunch items in the basket. This was her favorite picnic basket because it looked like a basket, but it really was insulated like a cooler. Perfect for day outings like she had planned today. Humming, she carefully placed turkey and chicken salad sandwiches in as well as apples, grapes, and cookies.

"That looks like a mini-feast, Rach," Puck chuckled as he came back inside.

"Well, I wanted to pack enough of a variety of food items," she reasoned. "Will you please grab some water bottles and whatever soda you would like from the refrigerator, please?"

"Sure," Puck answered, grabbed the requested items.

As he closed the door to the refrigerator, he noticed the Berrys had one of those dry erase calendars. There was a big star placed on next Saturday of course, it being Sectionals and all. But the date Puck noticed was the Sunday after Sectionals. It had a cake drawn on it, which said "Rachel's 17th b-day!"Her birthday? Why didn't she tell him about her birthday? Did she not want to celebrate? Puck had a million and one questions running through his mind, but suddenly an idea came to him. He wasn't going to mention what he found to Rachel. He had a plan forming in his brain, and he needed to talk to Kurt and Mercedes.

"I'm going to get dressed," Rachel said, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Okay, I'm going to just watch some TV," Puck answered, flopping on the couch.

When he knew Rachel was out of hearing, Puck flipped his phone open and dialed Kurt.

"Well, hello tall, dark, and Mohawked," Kurt cooed when he answered. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

"Hey Hummel," Puck said gruffly. "Listen, did you know Rachel's birthday was the Sunday after Sectionals?"

"What?!" Kurt screeched. "Why was this not brought to our attention?"

"Look, I don't know," Puck sighed. "I just saw it on the fridge calendar."

"So, she hasn't told you about her birthday?" Kurt reiterated.

"No, but I want it to be special for her. Throw her a party or something. You know?" Puck explained.

"I know exactly what you mean. How about this: Glee surprise party disguised as a victory party for Sectionals?" Kurt suggested.

"That could work. But what if we don't win?" Puck questioned.

"Oh, pish posh. Details, details. We _will_ win," Kurt scoffed. "And even if we don't, we could still use the party to cheer us up."

Puck chuckled at Kurt's overconfidence. "Okay, well, get with the others and let me know what their ideas are," he said. "I'll be with Rachel all day, so text if you need to."

"Fabuloso. _Ciao_," Kurt said, ending the call.

Not even five minutes later, Rachel was ready to go. Puck smiled as she grabbed her camera and purse. He grabbed the picnic basket, and they were off on their adventure.

* * *

With Rachel giving him directions, Puck navigated his way to their destination. He noticed the sign: Faurot Park. Not quite understanding exactly what Rachel had in mind, he turned to her as soon as he parked the truck.

"Rachel," he began as he got out of the truck, "what are we doing at Faurot Park?" His voice was suspicious, but he was grinning.

"As you can deduce by the lunch I painstakingly prepared," she exaggerated, getting out when Puck opened her door, "I want to have a picnic, and this is a lovely area for nature walks. And..." she hesitated. "I want you to point out all the birds you recognize to me," she trailed off, obviously embarrassed that she just admitted to wanting to take Puck bird-watching.

Puck didn't know what to say. He was touched that she remembered his affinity for birds. She looked so nervous and uncomfortable for having suggested it. Rachel, however, thought the worst of his silence.

"Was that asinine of me? I'm sorry! We can just go," Rachel said quickly, attempting to get back in the car.

"Rach," he said, grabbing her arm before she could open the door.

Slowly turning her to face him, Puck took her face in his hands.

"Look at me," he whispered. When she complied, he said, "No girl, and I mean _no girl_, has ever done anything more thoughtful or sweet," he articulated carefully, his eyes never leaving hers.

Rachel's eyes sparkled as she realized what he was saying. "Okay, then, let's go!" Rachel beamed.

With that, she grabbed his hand, and they walked along the trails. They decided they'd come back to the truck when they wanted to eat so they didn't need to lug Puck's guitar or the food around with them. The park was beautiful this time of year; trees were filled with leaves of golden yellow and bright orange. As they walked on, Puck would point out birds he recognized.

"That's a red-headed woodpecker," he pointed to a small bird with, as its name implied, a red head.

"I'm quite impressed with your aviary knowledge, Noah," Rachel praised.

Puck grinned sheepishly. "I know it's a weird and completely unstudly hobby," he shrugged. "Oh look!" he pointed to a branch where a bird with a spotted back was perched. "That's an American Kestrel. They are part of the falcon family. Sometimes they are called 'sparrow hawks.'"

"Where did you learn so much about birds?" Rachel inquired curiously.

Puck grew quiet as they headed toward a bench overlooking the lake. He sighed, looking out at the water, but not really seeing it. Rachel wondered if she'd said the wrong thing. As she was about to apologize for being presumptuous, Puck drew a deep breath and spoke.

"My dad," Puck said softly. "When I was little, he bought me picture books about birds and taught me bird calls. He'd take me here and bird observatories every weekend, and we'd talk about birds all day. Then, he lost his job, and he started to drink. Soon, instead of taking me to see the birds, he was spending his Saturdays in the bars," he growled. Swallowing hard, he continued, "Then, one day, he just left. It was right before Nina was born. We haven't heard from him since," he finished in a whisper.

"Oh, Noah, I am so sorry I brought it up," Rachel whispered, snuggling into Puck's side when he put his arm tightly around her shoulder.

"It's okay," Puck said, kissing the top of her head. "Birds are just the only connection I still have with my father."

"Your father would be very proud of you, Noah," Rachel insisted.

For a few moments, they were content just to sit on the bench by the big willow tree. Then, Puck's stomach rumbled loudly, causing them both to laugh.

"I take that as a sign someone is hungry," Rachel laughed.

Puck tickled her sides as they made their way to the truck for lunch. They decided the willow tree was the perfect place to eat, so they headed back. It was a time of comfortable silence. They both just took in the scenery and the peaceful sounds of the perfect autumn day. After they ate, Puck sat with his back against the tree and strummed his guitar. Rachel laid down on the blanket, tangling her feet with his. He quietly played a little of everything: Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, anything he could remember by heart. Sometimes he sang, and sometimes she joined him. Other times, it was just the music. When they got tired of the music, they talked. He told her the hate he felt (and still feels) after his dad left, and she shared the struggles of having two dads and no mom. They mused about their dreams and college and the future. Little by little, they revealed more things about themselves. Rachel divulged in her guilty pleasure midnight snack: butterscotch pudding with peanut butter M&Ms. Puck admitted that when he was younger, he was deathly afraid of Ursula from _The Little Mermaid_. Puck busted a gut when Rachel told him her daddy made her believe the three little pigs were called Curly, Larry, and Moe and that she found out in an embarrassing game of _Trivial Pursuit _they were indeed the names of the Three Stooges. Rachel giggled uncontrollably when Puck said he once thought 2HR Parking stood for 2 Home-Run Parking or that he first thought the lyrics to "Sweet Caroline" included the line, "I'm Benny Cline," instead of "I've been inclined." She told him every detail of her life she could think of. He told her everything about him. Everything but the most important part of him. The baby.

Puck wanted to tell her. It was killing him not to, but he was worried about losing her. Besides, in his mind he felt that if he told Rachel without warning Quinn first, they would have a big problem on their hands. Quinn might take that as the last straw against him and never let him be a part of his baby girl's life. Plus, spilling the beans before Sectionals would completely ruin their shot at winning. Winning meant everything to Rachel, and he couldn't crush those dreams and their relationship in one fell swoop. Maybe he could convince Quinn to break the truth to Finn after Sectionals. That way he could tell Rachel. Puck groaned inwardly; any which way he put it, it all ended badly. All these thoughts kept swirling inside his head, and for once, he was helpless.

"What are you thinking about?" Rachel asked suddenly, having noticed Puck go quiet.

"Um, Sectionals," he said, not completely lying.

"Oh," Rachel said, shifting so her head was on Puck's lap.

He absently played with her hair when he got a text.

**Hummel:** [All systems go. Surprise party Artie's Sunday after Sectionals. Every1 is in. :-)]

Puck got another idea after seeing Kurt's text.

"Hey, babe," Puck said, nudging Rachel whose eyes had begun to close. "Kurt wants to know if we're up for a movie night."

"Sure," she mumbled. "Since my dads are gone, we can have it at my house."

Giving himself a mental high five for knowing Rachel would offer her house, he typed back to Kurt.

**Puck:** [Awesome. Get Gleeks to come to Berry's. Movie night 7? We can plan then.]

Kurt must've been waiting for Puck's reply, because a text came back within seconds.

**Hummel: **[On it. Activating Glee phone tree now.]

"Kurt says they'll be there around seven," Puck informed Rachel who was repacking the food remnants in the basket.

"Perfect," she smiled, glad they were all getting along as a group. A Glee movie night would have never happened a few months ago.

* * *

By 7:30 p.m., all the Gleeks were crowded at Rachel's house. Rachel was in the kitchen helping Brittany pop popcorn, Santana was French braiding Tina's hair on the couch in the living room, the boys were playing _Rock Band_, Kurt, Mercedes, Quinn, and Puck were whispering covertly in the corner. They were putting the finishing touches on Rachel's surprise party. Puck was pleasantly in shock that Quinn was relatively enthusiastic about helping to plan.

"Um, diva at three o'clock," Mercedes whispered. The others followed suit and acted casual.

"Hey, babe," Puck greeted her as she came over to sit on his lap.

"So, do you guys want to watch a movie?" Rachel offered, commanding the attention of the room.

Then came the suggestions.

"I say _Grease_!"

"Lame! Let's go see _Ninja Assassin_!"

"Mike, you are not a ninja! _Legally Blonde_!"

The boys groaned at Brittany's suggestion.

"What about _Star Trek_?"

"No, Finn, I want to watch a musical!"

Since it was clear no one could decide, Rachel offered a compromise. "How about we watch one musical and one regular movie?"

"Sounds like a good plan," Artie said stoically.

"I call _Dreamgirls_," Mercedes piped up. When the boys groaned, she waved them off. "Whatever, boys, you know you'll love it. Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy are in it. And Beyoncé," she reminded in a teasing sing-song voice.

"Well, I love Eddie Murphy, and Beyoncé is hot," Matt relented. "I'm in."

Slowly but surely, everyone agreed. They all snuggled on the couches and on the floor to watch the movie. Puck had never seen it before, but he was pretty impressed. That Jennifer Hudson chick had a set of lungs on her, but he was pretty sure Mercedes could take her. For having grumbled so much initially, the boys really enjoyed themselves. When the movie ended, Mike jumped up excitedly.

"Did you guys _see _that song all the guys did when they were scheming to get their music played?! That was awesome! We should totally do that for Regionals!" he exclaimed.

"You know," Artie admitted, "that's not such a bad idea. We could start working on it, and show it to Mr. Schue on Monday."

"That is very wise and ingenious of you fellows," Rachel said. "Having a leg up on the competition is a perfect way to ensure our victory."

With that being said, all the guys clamored on about who would sing what. Mike was showing them some break dancing moves, while Matt suggested they also tweak some of the smooth choreography they did for their mash-up. The girls and Kurt giggled watching them get so excited about a song like this. They knew they wouldn't be watching another movie so they all headed up to Rachel's room for some girl talk.

* * *

The Gleeks ended up crashing at Rachel's place in impromptu sleepover fashion, but by mid-Sunday morning, they were all trickling out. The last to leave were Finn and Quinn. While Rachel went upstairs to get the _Wicked_ soundtrack she promised Quinn she could borrow, Finn went to warm up the car he and Quinn came in. She and Puck were gathering her things together in silence when he stopped her from opening the front door.

Puck started to speak, "Quinn, I–"

"Puck, please don't," she said quietly.

"I need to–"

"I know what you're going to say," Quinn interrupted again. "You need to tell Rachel. I get that. But please, just wait. I can't tell Finn yet," she whispered.

"Q," he begged.

"Puck," she said softly with her eyes scrunched shut. "Please."

"Okay," he conceded. "I just hate this lying."

She placed a hand on his arm, her eyes on his silently pleading with him to understand. "I do too," she whispered. Then, she turned and slipped out the front door.

Puck slammed his eyes shut in frustration and fought the urge to punch a wall. She couldn't keep shutting him out like this. He needed to be honest with his girlfriend.

"Where did Quinn go?" Rachel questioned from the stairs.

"Oh, Finn's mom needed them to get home right away for something," he lied, hating himself for yet another falsehood that slipped out so easily. He quickly schooled his features, urging down the bile in his throat that threatened to build and swallow him alive.

"Well, I'll just give her the CD on Monday," Rachel said brightly. She skipped over to where Puck was standing stock-still. "You seem quiet," she noted.

"Just tired I guess," he sighed, knowing it wasn't completely a lie.

"Me too," she replied. "But, I had quite the enjoyable time with our fellow Glee members. Sometimes it's hard to remember that a few months ago, none of us was really good friends."

Puck thought about what she said. He hoped that after the truth came out, they didn't go back to being divided.

**

* * *

**

**Lots of ANs...**

**AN2: Song Rachel was singing: "Little Bird" (Brooke White) [did you guys catch the bird foreshadowing? ;o) lol]**

**AN3: Okay, I'm not gonna lie: all those tidbits about Rachel and Puck (the Three Stooges, "I'm Benny Cline" etc...)? Those all were about me (at some point in my life). I couldn't help putting them in, and I especially felt the "Sweet Caroline" thing was perfect to go in seeing as Puck and Rachel share a special bond over that song! So, I hope you guys had a nice laugh at those pieces of embarrassing information! (even at my expense ;o) lol)**

**AN4: Pictures that were inspiration for the park scene (actually pics of Faurot Park): ****http://www****.flickr****.com/photos/****eckybay/sets/72157603084330511/ [take out spaces]**

**The bench/willow:**** http:// www.****flickr.****com/****photos/8326046N03/2327050235 [take out spaces]**

**AN5: THE coolest Glee video I've seen! It's been kind of an inspiration/happy place for me lately: http:// www. youtube . com /watch?v=90GB3uRc9_4 [again, spaces out!]**

**Remember, R&R = Love! :o)**


	17. Sectionals

**AN: So here it is…one of the things you've all been waiting for…SECTIONALS! Yay! As you may have noticed, my timeline does not follow the show. So, some lines and instances will follow the show, but for the most part it is all my own. **

**Without giving too much of the chapter away, here are the songs if you want to hear them while you read. Both are on youtube: **

**/watch?v=EG3yulD6SqE -- Rachel and Puck's duet**

**/watch?v=WdRlHvulIHM -- the other song (starts actually around 1:08)**

**If you don't want the "surprise" ruined, I suggest not pulling them up until you come to them! Lol ;o)**

**Song keys:**

duet: _Rachel_** Puck **_**together**_

other song: _Solos (will be noted) __**together**_

**Enjoy!! And Please R&R! :o)

* * *

**

**_CHAPTER 17: Sectionals_**

"Well, guys," Mr. Schue said as New Directions lounged in the green room. "This last week went by quickly. But we did it! We made it to Sectionals. I am so proud of each and every one of you. We have come so far as a group. I can't wait to take home that trophy."

As he ran off to check the group in, everyone cheered in excitement. In the midst of everyone chattering and Miss Pillsbury doling out lozenges and hand wipes, Rachel grabbed Puck's hand and squeezed as hard as she could. He looked over at her; she was breathing deeply and her eyes were wide. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was nervous, but no way Rachel Berry ever got nervous.

"Baby," he leaned over to whisper in her ear, "are you okay?"

"I'm just a little nervous," she admitted. "I've got a funny feeling."

Puck looked at her worriedly. She didn't look like she was going to be sick. But one could never tell. "Like what kind of funny feeling?"

"Please don't go 'freaking out' as you say, but I have somewhat of a sixth sense," she responded stoically.

"So, you're, like, psychic or something?" Puck chuckled.

"Not exactly," she hissed. "I just have a strange feeling that something is going to happen today, and I cannot put my finger on it. That being said, I am a little apprehensive."

Puck stood up to walk behind her chair and began to gently massage Rachel's shoulders until she slumped forward in relaxation. "Baby, nothing bad is going to happen. You are going to sing your little heart out, we are going to rock this joint, and we're going to bring home that trophy," he murmured in her ear.

While his hands worked wonders on her tense muscles, Rachel took his words to heart. She knew they were more than ready. Their numbers were practiced to perfection. Kurt and Mercedes finished the costumes, and they looked fabulous. Rachel could hardly wait to put on her black sleeveless dress with red satin sash. The costumes made them looked sophisticated. She was excited that everyone's parents were in the audience, waiting anxiously to watch their children perform. Rachel knew her fathers would have the camcorder in hand, but she was mainly happy that Hannah was able to get off work to come see Noah sing. She and Nina were sitting with Ethan and Raymond as well as Carole Hudson and Burt Hummel. New Directions had their own special cheering section. Rachel knew they would all be proud because the members of New Directions were proud of themselves. They had come so far, and they were ready to prove that to everyone.

"Thank you, Noah," Rachel said, glancing up and smiling at Puck. He leaned down and kissed her nose as Mr. Schuester got their attention once more.

"Okay, guys, looks like we're going last," Mr. Schue explained. The group panicked, all speaking at once.

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Mike spoke up.

"No, it isn't," Mr. Schue answered. "Being third is promising. This way, we can be the freshest in the judges' minds," he reasoned.

Everyone seemed satisfied with his logic. Santana and Quinn wanted to use the restroom before the first group sang, and Finn, Matt, and Brittany wanted to get a snack so the group dispersed with promises they'd return in twenty minutes.

"You okay, now?" Puck asked Rachel as they wandered to their seats hand-in-hand.

"Yes, I'm fine," Rachel smiled. "Thank you again."

"Anytime," he grinned.

They spent the rest of their free time discussing last minute details with Tina and Artie, and before long, everyone was seated and waiting for the girls of Jane Adams Academy to take the stage. The lights dimmed as the girls got into place. Their first song was, in Rachel's opinion, an adequate attempt of "And I'm Telling You (I'm Not Going)."

"You would bring so much raw emotion and pure talent to that song," Rachel whispered to Mercedes.

"Girl, don't I know it. Shoo," Mercedes replied with a snap and a smirk.

The Gleeks had already seen their version of "Bootylicious" so there wasn't much surprise in that song choice. It wasn't until the girls had cleared the stage and the first chords of their last song began to play that New Directions knew they were done for.

"'Proud Mary'?" Artie gulped.

"In w-w-wheelchairs?" Tina sputtered.

All twelve members plus Mr. Schuester sank lower in their chairs, panic bubbling within their minds. Rachel shot a look toward Puck; she had known something was bound to go wrong. After the Jane Adams girls finished their final song to a rousing applause, the Gleeks rushed back to the green room.

"What are we going to do? This is tragic!" Kurt wailed.

"I'm gonna cut me some Jane Adams girls when we get outta here," Mercedes sneered.

"Yes, if I may slip into the vernacular, this sucks," Rachel nodded miserably.

"Guys, we just need to stay calm," Mr. Schuester said. "It could be a complete coincidence." But even he didn't believe his words.

"I propose we replace "Proud Mary" with another song from our repertoire," Rachel suggested. "I'm sorry, Artie, I know how much this song meant to you," she said, bending down to hug him.

"It's okay, Rachel," Artie said solemnly. "We can't worry about it now."

"We could do 'Somebody to Love,'" Matt suggested softly.

"Yeah, it's a real crowd-pleaser," Quinn agreed.

Everyone concurred with Matt's song choice, and while they discussed how to arrange it, Brittany squealed and kissed him on the cheek.

"We need to go back into the auditorium to watch the Haverbrook kids perform," Mr. Schue reminded.

"Can't we just stay here and practice our new song?" Finn inquired.

Mr. Schue shook his head sadly. "The only other good thing about going last is we'll have an hour lunch break before we have to perform," he said.

The kids grumbled but made their way back to the auditorium. Even though they were worried about their own fate, New Directions truly enjoyed the group from Haverbrook School for the Deaf. Until they heard them 'singing' "Don't Stop Believing."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Puck remarked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, Noah, this is worse than we thought," Rachel whimpered, leaning on Puck's shoulder.

He gathered her in his arms the best he could with the chair arm separating them. At least they had their duet...or so they thought. Apparently the Haverbrook School for the Deaf had an affinity for _Aida_'s "Written in the Stars" as well. By the final notes, Rachel was seething. Popping out of her seat, she turned to the rest of the group.

"Meeting in the green room in five minutes!" she all but shrieked and then stormed out in true Diva-Berry fashion.

It turned out that Mr. Schue was already there pacing the floor when the kids arrived.

"I can't believe this. We are so screwed," Tina muttered to no one.

Puck whipped his head toward her; he was the only one who heard her, and she didn't stutter. Tina glanced anxiously at him. Puck didn't say a word, only looked at her suspiciously.

"T-t-totally screwed," Tina stuttered nervously.

Not thinking any more about it, Puck shrugged and stood next to Rachel.

"Kids," Mr. Schue began, "I am so sorry. This has to be my fault. I gave Sue the set list." Everyone gasped at the revelation. "I had no idea she was going to cheat and give it to our competitors."

He groaned and flopped onto the couch beside Kurt, who patted his shoulder uncomfortably.

"Mr. Schue, you didn't know. It's not your fault," Finn reminded him.

"He's right, Will," Miss Pillsbury spoke up. Suddenly, she got a determined gleam in her eyes and stormed out of the room.

"It's okay, Mr. Schue," Kurt said, standing up. "Even if you hadn't given the set list up, Coach Sylvester's _spies _would've leaked our songs or choreography," he spat out, glaring at Santana and Brittany.

"Hey!" Santana countered. "I did not give Coach Sylvester anything!"

"Well, I did," Brittany mumbled dumbly. "But I didn't know why she wanted it," she finished miserably.

"Look," Santana huffed with her arms crossed. "Quinn, Brittany, and I _were _recruited to spy, but then Glee turned out to be fun," she shrugged. "I like Glee. Now, tell anyone else that, and I'll probably deny it, but I wasn't going to screw up our chances at Sectionals."

The room was silent after Santana's confession. Rachel crossed over to the Latina who used to make her life a living hell and, to everyone's surprise, wrapped her arm around Santana's shoulder.

"I believe you," Rachel said, squeezing Santana in a side-hug.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Okay, now that the lovefest is out of the way, we really need to think of some more songs, because right now, we don't have squat!" Puck grumbled.

As Kurt apologized to the Cheerios, Mercedes spoke up for the rest of the group. "Rachel, you should bust out some Barbra or something. We know you got the chops to do something on the fly."

Rachel firmly shook her head, "No, Noah and I were supposed to sing a duet."

"Babe, we can sing a duet some other time," Puck placated. "We don't have anything else prepared." He pulled her into a hug and whispered for ears only, "And if I remembered my awesome choreography to 'Lead Me On,' I'd say we could do that, but Mr. Schue would have a heart attack."

That earned him a weak smile from Rachel. She appreciated his attempt at humor, but right now she was just worried. They only had forty more minutes to pull together three new numbers. Suddenly, an idea hit her.

"Noah, what about that song we played for your sister this week? It's perfect for us," she asked excitedly.

Puck smirked as he remembered what Rachel was talking about. Hannah had invited Rachel to dinner, and while she forced Noah to cook, she had sent Rachel up to entertain Nina. When Puck had run upstairs to get them for dinner, he had found the girls dancing and singing to Selena Gomez at the top of their lungs. Rachel was swinging her hips and Nina was bouncing around, and all Puck could do was laugh (and stare at Berry's fine backside of course). Nina had let it slip that Noah could play the song the girls had been singing on the guitar. Rachel had been surprised and shocked to hear that Noah had even heard of the Disney Channel star.

He moaned in embarrassment, "No, Rachel, you promised you would never mention to the public that I could play that song, much less knew the words to it. It would ruin my reputation."

"I know, Noah, but we need to do it. We don't need choreography; you sit and play your guitar. I'll dance around you," Rachel pressed. She took his cheeks in her hands, "We can do this, and you can show everyone out there what I already know: you're a Glee stud," she said, kissing him firmly on the lips.

"Okay," he muttered.

"Mr. Schue, we have our duet," Rachel announced proudly.

The group cheered. "But we still don't have a third number," Quinn reminded them.

"We could always do that song from _Dreamgirls_," Artie offered.

"Yeah, the lyrics are actually perfect!" Mike laughed. He sang a few of the lyrics, and everyone joined in the laughter, realizing how appropriate the song actually was.

"We could do the guys' parts, and the girls can do the parts of the Dreamettes," Artie said.

"Oh! We can do our halftime step routine!" Brittany exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Surprised that she actually came up with a decent idea, everyone began talking at once. Kurt wanted to be a Dreamette since Santana and Brittany taught the routine to him, Tina, and Mercedes. While they practiced the steps and the boys practiced the song, Quinn suggested Kurt take her spot since her pregnant body couldn't do the steps anymore.

"But that means Quinn doesn't perform with the group," Finn protested.

"Finn, it's fine," she cooed. "I'll be in 'Somebody to Love.'"

"No, he's right," Rachel said, stepping up.

"W-why don't you s-s-sing with me while the the other f-f-four do the st-stepping?,'" Tina offered.

Quinn looked at the girls in hesitation. "That's really sweet of you, Tina, but don't you want to do the steps?"

"I don't know them that well either," Mercedes admitted. "Kurt picked it up the quickest."

"I'll sing too," Rachel said firmly as she took Quinn's hand in her own. "You, Tina, Mercedes, and I can stand in the windows of the other three, and then do side touch steps, clap, and sing while they do the routine."

"That actually works perfectly, Q," Santana piped up.

Quinn nodded and smiled, "Okay, I'll do it."

Rachel gave her hand a quick squeeze, and yet again Quinn was grateful to call Rachel Berry a friend.

Mr. Schuester watched as the kids scrambled to perfect dance moves and hit correct notes. Any other group would have shied away at the challenge presented to them, but not his kids. His kids were strong. His kids were determined. His kids were awesome.

"Mr. Schue," Matt said, breaking Will out of his thoughts. "We're ready," he said, smiling a smile that the other members matched.

"Great," Mr. Schue said. "Go out there and make me so proud," he cheered.

The members of New Directions could hear the bustling of the audience members as they made their ways back to the seats. Everyone waited in the wings while Puck and Rachel took their places onstage. Puck had a stool where he planned to play the acoustic guitar, and Rachel stood next to him. Before the lights came up, he winked at her.

"If we get through this, Berry, you owe me the biggest milkshake you can buy," he whispered, knowing Rachel's distaste for dairy products on the vocal cords.

"Only a milkshake?" she whispered back, innocently quirking her eyebrows.

Puck's eyes widened, and he had to mentally shake the images of everything else she implied she'd owe him. Seeing her smirk, he shook his head, smiling. "Among other things, baby," he said huskily.

Rachel's smirk became a full-blown smile as her cheeks began to flush. Puck took the opportunity to start strumming the chords to the song they were about to sing. The band joined in after Puck sang the first line.

Puck took the first verse as Rachel swayed and step-touched next to him.  
**How you choose to express yourself  
It's all your own and I can tell**  
**It comes naturally  
It comes naturally**

Rachel began to walk behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. She leaned around his right shoulder to sing to his face.  
_You follow what you feel inside  
It's intuitive; you don't have to try  
It comes naturally__  
Mmmm, it comes naturally_

Puck pushed himself off the stool as Rachel twirled around him.  
_**And it takes my breath away  
What you do, so naturally**_

They faced each other as Rachel pointed playfully at him.  
_You are the thunder and I am the lightning_  
**And I love the way you know who you are  
And to me it's exciting**  
_**When you know it's meant to be  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally  
When you're with me, baby**_  
_**Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally**_  
_Bay-bay-baby_

Rachel grabbed her head by threading her fingers in her hair, closed her eyes, and swung her hips left to right accenting each syllable of "baby."

As Rachel sang the last line of the chorus, Puck placed the guitar on its stand and grabbed Rachel's left wrist and placed his other hand on her waist. Surprisingly, she was not shocked he thought up choreography on the spot.

**You have a way of moving me  
A force of nature, your energy**

He led her in an impromptu Cha-Cha.  
**It comes naturally **_(You know it does)_  
**It comes naturally**  
_Mmmm yeah_

Rachel playfully spun out of his grasp and skipped to the other side of the stage.  
_**And it takes my breath away **__(Every time)_  
_**What you do so naturally**_

It was like they could read each other's minds. They both held their arms out as if reaching to each other.

Then they rushed to center stage to sing the chorus.  
_You are the thunder and I am the lightning_  
**And I love the way you know who you are  
And to me it's exciting**

They placed one arm on each other's waist and circled around like Rachel and Finn had done for so many songs.  
_**When you know it's meant to be  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally  
When you're with me, baby  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally  
**__Bay-bay-baby_

Puck spun Rachel out and back in. He grasped her by the waist and with one hand supporting her back, he dramatically dipped and held her as their eyes locked._  
When we collide, sparks fly_  
_When you look in my eyes, it takes my breath away_

He pulled Rachel back up so quickly her hair flew around her face. For the final chorus, Rachel danced around Puck, much like she had in Nina's room. Puck couldn't help but smile and sway along. _  
You are the thunder and I am the lightning_  
**And I love the way you know who you are  
And to me it's exciting**  
_**When you know it's meant to be  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally  
When you're with me, baby  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally  
**__Bay-bay-baby_

_Naturally_  
**Naturally**  
_Naturally_  
**Naturally**  
_Bay-bay-baby_

**Naturally**  
_Naturally_  
**Naturally**  
_Bay-bay-baby_

The crowd cheered raucously for the two who were breathless from adrenaline and emotions. Rachel gave him a quick peck on the lips as she ran backstage. Puck got into position for the next song, flanked by Matt on one side and Finn and Mike on the other. They had their backs to the audience. The first part of the song was slow and almost menacing. They boys liked it because they could appear sneaky which was rather true to their personalities.

**Matt** turned around and stepped up slowly.  
_Steppin' to the bad side_

**Puck, Finn, Mike** each spun around on their respective 'ooh.'  
_Ooh, ooh, ooh_

**Matt **sang a little faster  
_Steppin' to the bad side_

**Mike **crouched up to be even with Matt.  
_Gonna take a mean ride_

**Puck **slid up in line.  
_Mean ride_

**Finn **did the same.  
_Mean ride_

**Mike** not-so-inconspicuously glared at the Haverbrook director.  
_The smile I had is gone away_

**Matt** did a sweeping point that not-so-coincidentally landed on Ms. Hitchens, the Jane Adams director.  
_Those that steal are gonna pay_

The boys all sang as Matt and Puck faced toward Finn and Mike as they looked out to the crowd and raised their downstage hand to the audience.  
_**Steppin' to the bad side  
**__**Todayyyyy**_

They collectively dropped their hands as the tempo sped up, and they began step-sliding back in forth, much like they did in their mash-up. In fact, much of their choreography throughout the dance was vamped from their mash-up.

_**Steppin' to the bad side, ooh, ooh, ooh  
Gonna take a mean ride, ooh, ooh, ooh**__  
_  
**Mike**  
_The smile I had is gone away_

**Matt**  
_Those that steal are gonna pay_

_**Steppin' to the bad side  
Today**_

**Mike **  
_I tell ya now, it's got to end  
No more trusting them, my friends_

**Matt**  
_Change our style, change our tone  
Make the songs we sing our own_

_**Steppin' to the bad side **_(**Matt: **_stepping to the bad side_),_** ooh, ooh, ooh**_  
_**Gonna take a mean ride, ooh, ooh, ooh**_

**Puck**  
_I'll get you all the breaks you need  
In just two years, we'll be in the lead_

**Finn**  
_Can't sit back, it's plain to see  
Open your eyes and trust in me  
oooh whoa_

_**Steppin' to the bad side, ooh, ooh, ooh  
Gonna take a mean ride, ooh, ooh, ooh**_

**Mike**  
_I was a man who tried to be good_

**Puck**  
_But I was always misunderstood_

**Finn**  
_Can't play fair or be too meek _

**Matt**  
_You gotta get way down and show your danger streak _

**Mike, Puck, Finn** echoed.  
_Streak, streak, streak_

_**Steppin' to the bad side, ooh, ooh, ooh  
Gonna take a mean ride, ooh, ooh, ooh**_

The boys grapevined around each other, overlapping their vocals. It sounded like they were singing in a round, but they were all singing different parts of the chorus. The girls were jittery backstage because they'd never heard them perform this part of the song, but they were impressed with how good they sounded. Just then the horns blasted and gave them their cue as the boys finished.

_**Step  
Step  
Step**__**  
Step  
Step  
Steppin' to the bad side**_

The girls and Kurt prissily walked onstage and after every line, they paused and struck a pose. Then began walking again till they were front and center with the other boys frozen behind them.

**Girls and Kurt**  
_Steppin' to the bad side, steppin' to the bad side  
Steppin' to the bad side, steppin' to the bad side  
Steppin' to the bad side, steppin' to the bad side  
Steppin' to the bad side, steppin' to the bad side_

**Artie **rolled in.  
_I had to step into the bad side_  
**  
Girls and Kurt**  
_Ooh, ooh, ooh_

**Artie** popped some wheelies.  
_I had to take myself a mean ride  
_  
**Girls and Kurt**  
_Ooh, ooh, ooh_

**Artie**  
_Oh, you know the smile I had is gone away  
Those that steal are gonna pay_

**Girls and Kurt**  
_Steppin' to the bad side  
Today__**  
**_  
**Artie**  
_Ohhh whoa, man just stole my woman from me  
Took her down to Tennessee  
She was the best girl I ever knew  
If it wasn't for him, she'd still be true  
I've always been a good man, it's been sad  
When I catch the man, he wish he were dead  
Men like him make good men mad  
Starting today I'm gonna be bad  
Yeah, yeah_

**Girls and Kurt**  
_Yeah, yeah!_

**Artie**  
_Steppin' to the bad side_  
**  
Girls and Kurt**  
_Ooh, ooh, ooh_

**Artie**  
_I had to take myself a mean ride  
_  
**Girls and Kurt**  
_Ooh, ooh, ooh_

**Artie**  
_You know the smile I had has gone away  
Those that steal are gonna pay_

**Girls and Kurt**  
_Steppin' to the bad side  
Steppin' to the bad side  
Steppin' to the bad side _(**Artie:**_ Steppin' to the bad side_)  
_Todayyyyyy__**  
**_  
**Artie**  
_Step on  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_  
_Step on_

As Artie ad libbed, Brittany, Kurt, and Santana began their step routine as they sang. The other girls sang with the boys who also clapped and side-touched.  
_Step, step, to the bad side_  
_Step, step, to the bad side_  
_Step, step, to the bad side_  
_Step, step, to the bad side_  
_Step, step, to the bad side_  
_Step, step_

**All** stepped into a single file line across the stage.  
_**Gotta step to the bad side!**_

If the crowd cheered loudly for the other groups, they brought the house down for New Directions after that song. They received a standing ovation, and they hadn't even performed "Somebody to Love" yet. The directors from the other schools applauded as well but at least had the decency to look guilty. Will had tears in his eyes as he watched his group with pride. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed Emma into a close hug. She returned the hug automatically but pulled away after a few seconds. Will chalked it up to not wanting to be touched, but in reality, if Emma hadn't put the space between them, she might've kissed him and ruined everything. Not sensing her discomfort, Will flashed her a big smile.

"Can you believe them, Emma?"

"Actually, I can, Will," she said softly. "You taught them well."

Emma smiled at him as she settled back into her seat for their final song. The group, of course, blew the audience away once more with their perfect rendition of the Queen hit. Will could not have been happier than if they'd performed their original songs.

The group was breathless by the time they made it back to their seats for the judging. They waited on pins and needles for what seemed like hours. Finally, the head judge, Rod Remington, took the stage.

"Now, I want you all to know that each group blew us away," he said in his cheesy anchorman voice. "But there can only be one winner here today..."

Rachel squeezed Puck's and Quinn's hand, and as she glanced down the row, she saw that everyone was holding hands with the person next to them. Puck pressed a kiss to her temple, and she let out the breath she was holding.

"And the winner is...William McKinley High School's New Directions!"

Everyone jumped up and down and screamed. Rachel leaped into Puck's arms and kissed him passionately. Between kisses, she whispered to him, "I am so proud of you!" Mr. Schuester ran to the stage to get their trophy while the kids found their parents. Congratulations were given, and hugs and high fives were passed out by everyone. After much celebrating, the kids made their way to the green room to get their things together. When Will and Emma arrived, the couples were kissing, and Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, and Artie were smashed in a big group hug. Kurt was the first to notice the adults in the room.

"Mr. Schuester!" he squealed. "We did it!"

The kids whooped and hollered for their fearless director.

"Yeah, guys, you did it, and I could not be any prouder," he whispered hoarsely.

"We owe everything to you, Mr. Schuester," Rachel said. "Without your supreme wisdom and continuous support for our Glee club, we would have never had the chutzpah to even consider putting together three songs an hour before the competition. You had faith in us when we were just the 'little club that thought it could,'" she smiled.

"Yeah, Mr. Schue," Finn said. "Now we're the little club who proved we can!"

This made everyone laugh. By this time, the parents and family members had joined the mini celebration in the green room, and everyone cheered once more.

"That means a lot to me, guys," Mr. Schuester said graciously. "Now, what do you say we go back to school next week and shove this victory in Sue Sylvester's face?!"

"Yeah!!" they roared unanimously.

"Don't forget the party at my house tomorrow!" Artie yelled over the ruckus.

As the couples kissed again, Puck detached Nina's arms from Rachel's waist and swept his girlfriend into a deep kiss. Not wanting to give everyone a show, she didn't allow him to go too far, but Puck figured that was okay. All he knew was that she was in his arms, they had won Sectionals, and tomorrow was her surprise party. Life at that moment couldn't be any better.

**

* * *

AN2: Songs: "Naturally (Selena Gomez and the Scene; Youtube version by Emily Harder) and "Steppin' to the Bad Side (**_**Dreamgirls**_** Soundtrack)**

**AN3: I just have to tell you all this funny instance: So, I am a word nerd and I do the crossword puzzle online most days. Anyway, on Tuesday I think, and one of the clues was "Musical FOX tv show"! G****lee is infiltrating the real world! woohoo! Lol :o)**

**AN4: Okay, I would really appreciate your feedback on this chapter; it was kind of difficult to write. Also, a heads up, the drama IS coming. I know you all are worried, but I promise, it will be okay!! :o)  
**

**AN5: Please remember, R&R = Love! It only takes a few minutes to tell me whether you loved it, hated it, wished there was less of something and more of another, or any other emotion you felt while reading! Without sounding too much like I'm begging: Please, please, please! :o) Love you all! **

**(p.s. I'll be out of pocket all weekend, so I would LOVE to come back to an inbox full of reviews! hint hint wink wink! lol)  
**


	18. Surprise!

**AN: Here's Rachel's surprise story! Yay! To my faithful readers and reviewers, thanks for your wonderful and continued support! To all my new readers, thanks for coming along for the ride! I hope you are all enjoying this story! A disclaimer since I haven't said one in awhile: I don't own anything! bummer, i know.. ;o) Please R&R!**

* * *

_**Chapter 18: Surprise! **_

"Good morning, Pumpkin!" Raymond cried as he burst in Rachel's room bright and early Sunday morning, carrying a breakfast tray.

"Happy birthday, Sweetheart," Ethan said, stepping out from behind Raymond when they got into her room.

"Dad! Daddy! Hi!" Rachel said, sitting at her vanity, already getting ready for the Glee victory party.

"We made you breakfast," Raymond said cheerily, indicating the tray in his hands.

"How sweet! Thank you," she said with a smile, hopping back into bed.

Ethan sat beside her and kissed the top of her head as Raymond sat the tray on her lap. Rachel looked down at the plate of star-shaped pancakes with strawberries and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. After taking a large gulp of the orange juice, Rachel kissed her dad on the cheek.

"Are you ready for your victory party today?" Raymond asked.

"Yes, Dad, Noah should be here in a little while and then we can all go together," Rachel replied.

All of the parents were invited to the party, but only Rachel's dads along with Noah's and Finn's moms decided to attend. Of course, Artie's parents would also be there considering it was their house.

"Well, we can follow you and Noah. That way you can stay in case your father and I want to leave early," Ethan reasoned.

"Okay," Rachel smiled around bites.

They smiled once more at their beautiful daughter and left her alone to get ready for the day.

* * *

Puck was nervous as he headed over to the Berry house. He had just called Kurt to check on the last minute party prep. He assured Puck that everything was taken care of. Tina's mom worked in a bakery, and she promised to make a cake. Mike was bringing the balloons. Mercedes was in charge of the party "soundtrack." In other words, she was playing DJ for the afternoon. Puck knew everything was perfect; he'd planned the ruse with Rachel's fathers. But still, he was anxious. He didn't know why Rachel hadn't said anything about her birthday in the first place. Raymond and Ethan were surprised she hadn't mentioned it, so they weren't much help when he questioned them. They were impressed with his idea, and he figured he'd won over a few more points in the "Good Boyfriend Tally" because of it. He smirked to himself. Oh yeah, he was _so _winning the Berrys over. He headed up the front porch to ring the doorbell. He checked his watch; it was 1:30 already. Kurt had said everyone was at Artie's waiting for their arrival; he had told everyone to be there thirty minutes beforehand. Puck knew Rachel would panic seeing they were the last people to arrive, but he hoped the surprise would make up for it.

Ethan swung the door open and smiled. "Everything ready?" he whispered conspiratorially.

Puck chuckled as he shook the older man's hand. "Yes sir. Thank you again for helping me with this."

"It's our pleasure," Raymond said, coming around the corner. "Anything for our star."

Puck smiled politely at the misters Berry. He was still a little nervous around parents, although he was admittedly getting better. Raymond and Ethan seemed to respect the fact that he respected their daughter so in their book, he was pretty much golden, despite his colorful past. For that, Puck was very grateful. Still, he tended to get fidgety when left alone with adults for too long.

"Is Rachel almost ready?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too impatient.

Ethan smiled knowingly at Raymond and then turned back to Puck. "Yes, she should be down any second."

"Consider that 'any second' as now," Rachel called out cheekily.

Much like the first time he saw her descend from her stairs, Puck was caught off guard at Rachel's natural beauty. She had on a teal shirt that wrapped around and tied in a bow at her natural waist. Her dark wash jean skirt hit right above her knees, and although it was longer than the skirts she normally wore, he thought it looked perfect on her. Her feet were clad in gladiator sandals that had turquoise beads and stones on the straps. At the risk of sounding like a wuss, he was left breathless in her wake.

"Wow, Rachel," he stammered. "You look really nice."

"Thanks," she replied, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"You ready to go?" Puck asked.

"Yes, Kurt just sent me a text. I could practically hear him singing over the phone, '_Don't be tardy for the party!_'" she sang the last line, shimmying her hips playfully.

Puck rolled his eyes. That was Hummel all right. Raymond and Ethan grabbed the bags of two-liter drinks, Rachel grabbed her camera, Puck grabbed Rachel's hand, and they were out the door.

* * *

As they pulled up to the Abrams' house, Rachel visibly blanched. The cul-de-sac was filled with cars. Thankfully, some had carpooled or they would have never fit all the vehicles in. Puck parked and got out to open Rachel's door. They intertwined their fingers as they walked up the driveway.

"Noah, we're the last ones here. I am never the last to arrive," she scoffed.

"Oh, come on, babe. Now we can make a grand entrance or something like that," he teased.

Rachel looked at him skeptically. She smiled when she saw more sparkle in his eyes than normal. It made her happy to see his eyes a little greener. To her, Puck's eyes were like a mood ring: hazel on a neutral day, darker brown when he was upset, and mossy green when he was amused. But today, they were almost a bright green with those gold specks she loved. When Rachel saw his eyes like that, she knew he was genuinely happy and excited. She was mesmerized by his eyes and the way he looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered at that moment.

"Babe?" Puck questioned. "Are you okay?" He had an amused smile on his face.

"Yes, of course, I was just thinking," she grinned.

Smiling, Puck shook his head at her. During Rachel's little space-out, Ethan and Raymond were able to slip into the house unnoticed. He couldn't have planned a stall tactic any better.

Puck leaned down and pressed a kiss to Rachel's lips. He hadn't been able to really kiss her yet since her dads had been around, and he was going to have to behave at the party for a few hours, so he was taking his time. There was nothing hungry or fierce about the kiss itself, but the sparks Rachel felt made her toes curl. She reached up to clasp her hands behind Puck's neck, giving him a better angle to deepen the kiss. Puck's fingers skimmed lightly across the skin at her waist. Reluctantly, he pulled away but rested his forehead against hers.

"Okay, I _guess _we should go in now," he deadpanned.

Rachel whimpered a protest, but he just laughed. Giving her one last peck on the forehead, he knocked.

"Come on in," he heard someone call so he opened the door slowly, allowing Rachel to walk in first.

Rachel was barely in the doorway when she registered the lights were all off. Then, someone flipped a switch and she heard, "SURPRISE!"

She let out a squeak and stumbled backwards from the shock of seeing all the people crowded into Artie's living room. She saw the excited members of New Directions, her fathers, Hannah and Nina, Carole Hudson, the Abrams, Mr. Schuester, and Miss Pillsbury—everyone she cared about was there. She felt Puck's strong arms weave their way around her waist, holding her against his chest.

"Happy birthday, Rachel," he whispered in her ear, his hot breath causing her to shiver. "Were you surprised?"

All Rachel could do was nod dumbly as tears welled in her eyes.

Kurt came bouncing up to her and grabbed her hands in his. "Young lady, you have some 'splaining to do!" he said, attempting his best Ricky Ricardo accent.

"Yeah, Rach, why didn't you say anything about your birthday?" Finn asked softly as he wandered up.

Rachel ducked her head, clearly embarrassed. Puck tightened his hold on her.

"You don't have to explain if you don't want to," Puck assured.

"No, I am just overwhelmed right now. I mean, for sixteen years it's always just been me and my fathers to celebrate any kind of holiday," Rachel explained. "This is the first birthday I've had real friends and a wonderful boyfriend to celebrate with me. I honestly didn't think to bring it up," she shrugged.

The kids nodded their understanding. It made sense that after all most of them had put her through that it would take awhile for Rachel to trust them with that sort of information.

"Are you mad that I didn't tell you?" she asked Puck ashamedly.

"Absolutely not," he was swift to say. "You aren't upset that we found out and planned this, right?"

"It's the kindest action anyone has done for me. I am truly grateful for your friendships," she said to everyone in the room.

With that, Puck and Rachel made their way to greet everyone. Rachel hugged all the girls; when she came to the guys, Matt and Mike practically tackled her but settled for smashing her between them in a big hug. She giggled as Mike yelled, "Rachel sandwich!" Now that the birthday girl had arrived, Mercedes bumped up the music on her laptop and Kurt began directing people to the kitchen for snacks. After some time of eating, impromptu singing and lots of laughing, Mercedes called out to Rachel from across the room.

"Diva, you know what time it is? It's time to get your presents opened, girlfriend!" she giggled.

Rachel's eyes widened in shock once again. "You procured presents for me?"

"Heck yeah, Rach! That's what people do for friends on their birthdays!" Mike said in a _duh_ tone.

"While I appreciate your generosity and affirmations of friendship, I can't take presents from you all. This party is enough," Rachel said diplomatically.

Puck grasped the side of Rachel's waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Baby, we did it because we wanted to. No one asked them to buy presents for you, but they all did," he ensured her.

"Oh," Rachel realized. She turned and smiled at her friends who were waiting anxiously. "Thank you," she returned graciously. Everyone in the room sighed in relief and scurried to grab their presents. She settled on the leather couch while everyone gathered around, trying to find a spot in the now crowded living room.

The first present was assorted makeup and a gift card to the Gap from Mercedes, Tina, Kurt, and Artie. Kurt was almost more excited at the prospect of taking her shopping than Rachel was at going. She smiled at the look of sheer joy on his face, thanked them, and promised Kurt they could go shopping next weekend.

Matt shyly handed her the next bag which was from him, Mike, and Finn. Rachel peeked inside to find a book entitled _Making It on Broadway: Actors' Tales of Climbing to the Top_. She beamed at the boys for their thoughtful gift.

"There's more," Finn pressed, nodding toward the bag.

Rachel reached back into the bag and pulled out a teddy bear with sunglasses and a shirt with a bright star on it.

"Boys, this is so adorable. Thank you," she gushed. The three boys blushed at the compliment.

Nina bounced up with a homemade card and a star key-chain with "Rachel" on it.

"Nina, thank you! It's wonderful," Rachel hugged the little girl and immediately grabbed her keys to put it on. Nina was glad Rachel liked her present; she had bought it with her own allowance. It was clear Nina adored Rachel as much as Rachel adored her.

Santana got up from her seat to hand her a thick envelope. "This is from me, Brit, and Q," she informed her with a small smile.

Rachel gingerly opened the envelope to find a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure. She smiled at the three girls.

"We can all go together and then get lunch!" Brittany cried enthusiastically. "Total girls' day!"

"Oh, wow, that would be lovely," Rachel thanked them. "Thank you so much."

Rachel's fathers then handed her a box which she opened to find an "I Love NY" t-shirt. She giggled as she held it up to herself. Then she glanced down and noticed an envelope at the bottom of the box. She glanced at her fathers; Ethan nodded for her to open it. Inside she found tickets to New York City for two weeks in the summer. She squealed and leaped into her fathers' arms.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she kept saying.

"Why don't you take a closer look at those tickets," Raymond suggested.

With a questioning eye, Rachel grabbed the tickets off the table. Inspecting them closer, she realized something she hadn't seen before. There weren't three tickets. There were four. Rachel's head flew up to her fathers who were standing next to Noah. They all three smiled.

"You're coming too?" she asked Noah excitedly.

"You couldn't keep me away," he said. Then, he reached in his pocket and pulled out something Rachel couldn't see. It was another envelope.

She giggled, "I seem to see a theme with all of these envelopes."

Puck grinned at her. "Happy birthday, Rach," he said.

She opened the envelope and gasped at what she saw. Inside were two tickets to _Spring_ _Awakening_; the date was for one of the nights they would be in New York.

"Are you kidding me?" Rachel asked in disbelief.

"I wanted to do something special for you, so when your dads told me they were taking you to New York and that they wanted me to come with you guys, I knew what I was going to do," he shrugged.

Even though it was in front of a room of people, Rachel jumped into Noah's arms and kissed him full on the mouth. He stumbled back with the force of it, but only broke the kiss once he heard the cat calls. He pulled back with a smirk on his lips.

"I take it you are pleased?" he whispered.

"Oh yes, very," Rachel sultrily teased in his ear.

Puck bit back a groan at her tone of voice. She quirked her eyebrow at him playfully. Oh she was gonna get it for teasing me like that, he thought.

After Rachel opened her presents, the adults decided to head out so the kids could have some privacy. Artie suggested they head downstairs to the basement for some music and video games.

"Um, Artie, aren't there stairs that go to the basement?" Brittany asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, but wait till you see what we rigged up when we moved in," Artie smiled mischievously as he led her down the hallway. Brittany gasped as she saw the elevator-type lift to take Artie to the lower level of the house.

"Wow" was all she could manage.

The other kids snickered at the look of astonishment on Brittany's face.

"Come on in, Britt, I'll even let you push the buttons," he winked playfully.

"Oh, I'm good at that. Santana says I push hers all the time," Brittany said flippantly.

Everyone chuckled as they headed down the stairs. If they listened closely, they could hear Brittany's excited squeal which caused them all to laugh even more.

After they all settled downstairs, Mercedes cranked up the music, and they all used the open space as a dance floor. Puck pulled Rachel close as they moved their bodies to the music. He inhaled her strawberry scent but could not get enough of her. Suddenly, she turned in his arms to face him.

"You want something to drink or eat, baby?" he offered.

"That would be wonderful," Rachel sighed, before she pulled his lips to hers.

Puck headed upstairs and heard someone talking in the kitchen. He rounded the corner and saw Tina in the corner on the phone.

"Yes, Mom, I'll be home soon. I can go to the store for you then. Bye, Mom," Tina whispered.

Puck watched her for a few minutes before it dawned on him. She wasn't stuttering. "Tina?" Puck questioned, startling the Goth girl.

She whirled around. "Oh, P-p-puck!" she stammered, hanging up the phone quickly. "Wh-what are you d-d-doing in here?"

Puck inched toward her carefully. "Tina, how come–"

"Hey guys, did you forget where the basement was?" Artie joked as he rolled in.

Tina shot Puck a desperate look that said _please don't say anything_. He nodded quietly.

"My bad, Abrams," Puck said. "I was grabbing drinks for me and Rach, but Tina asked me to wait till she got off the phone to go back down."

Tina flashed a grateful smile at Puck as they joined the others downstairs. After a quick _Rock_ _Band_ tournament, the kids decided it was probably time to head out. They grumbled since they all knew tomorrow was Monday. As everyone headed for the door, they all hugged each other. Rachel was thanking everyone again for the wonderful afternoon. Puck headed over to Tina to give her a quick hug. "You should tell him," he said before releasing her.

Her eyes widened, but he just gave her a meaningful look. Tina's nod was almost imperceptible, which was enough for Puck. He patted Artie on the back as he and Rachel headed to Puck's truck.

Rachel sighed contentedly throughout the ride home. She intertwined her fingers with Puck's and he smiled. As they pulled up to Rachel's house, she leaned over to kiss Puck on the cheek. They walked slowly up to the front porch. Puck couldn't help but remember their karaoke night when they'd walked up this walkway together for the first time.

"Thank you so much for everything, Noah," she said honestly. "This was a wonderful surprise."

"I'm glad you liked it," Puck grinned.

"Do you want to come inside?" she asked innocently.

Puck looked at her closely. Her eyes were sparkling in the moonlight, and all he wanted to do was kiss her till the sun came up.

"I'd like to, babe, but I probably should get home," Puck said softly.

For a second, he thought she looked disappointed, but he swept her up in his arms and kissed her firmly. When he broke the contact, she sighed, "Okay, if you must."

He snickered at her glazed expression, satisfied he could still get that kind of reaction from her. "Night, Rach," he whispered.

"Good night, Noah," she smiled as he jogged to his truck, waved to her, and drove off.

Rachel made her way upstairs and got ready for bed. She really wished Noah had stayed with her. Smiling to herself, she decided she was going to be a little spontaneous. Throughout the few months of their relationship, Noah had done a good job of loosening up her uptight ways, and right now, Rachel just felt downright flirty. She grabbed her phone and began to type out a message to Noah.

On his way home, Noah couldn't help but think maybe he gave Rachel the wrong idea by not staying. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but Rachel was just so sexy today and giving him all these signals that he wasn't sure what was going on in that pretty little head of hers. Just as he pulled in to his neighborhood, his phone buzzed. He stopped on the side of the road to look at a message from Rachel.

**Berry:** [A is for all I want.]

What is she talking about, he thought. Just as he was trying to decipher message, another one came through.

**Berry:** [B is for badly.]

He groaned, understanding only one thing about her messages. She wanted him to come back.

**Berry:** [C is for can't you stay longer 'cause I want you so madly?]

Oh, my, he thought. She is killing me. He had to get back to her. Turning his car around, he got back on the road that led to Rachel's house. He made it in record time and found Rachel was waiting at the door in her pajamas.

He crashed his lips into hers as her legs wrapped his waist. She moaned in his mouth as he haphazardly carried her up the stairs. Her hands were pulling at his Mohawk as he plundered his tongue into the hot caverns of her mouth. They made their way to her room as quickly and quietly as they could.

Rachel whimpered as Puck pulled his lips away from her. He was still holding her body to his, and he raked his eyes over her swollen lips.

"Do you even realize what your texts do to me when you're not even trying to be sexy?" he growled.

Rachel blushed, "I just figured that it's my birthday, and I needed to be kissed." She grinned cheekily at him.

"Oh, well, then, I'm happy to oblige," he whispered gutturally. He dipped his head to kiss her again as he moved her to the bed, laying her down gently. He supported his own weight to hover over her beautiful frame. Her dark hair was splayed across her pillow as she looked up at him dreamily.

"What is D for?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks once more. She leaned her head off the pillow to whisper in his ear, "D is for dangerous."

That was all the encouragement he needed before he cupped her face and kissed her roughly. She moaned as he deepened the kiss. His hands were gliding up and down her sides as she clawed at his shirt. This burning feeling inside her was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

"Do you want to have sex?" she suddenly asked, her breath coming in gasps.

Puck heard the words she said, but because the way her fingers were ghosting up and down his spine, his brain couldn't comprehend what he just asked her. Of course, he wanted to have sex with his beautiful girlfriend; he was a horny teenage boy, after all. So he continued kissing her neck, giving one specific spot at the base of her collarbone some much needed attention. At Rachel's soft whimpering, he gave up trying to ignore her question. Smirking as he found the spot he'd been sucking on sufficiently marked, he looked deep into her hooded eyes.

"Is that a trick question?" he asked huskily.

"No. Do _you _want to have sex with _me_?" she emphasized.

Puck sighed as his mind reeled. There were two ways he could answer this and he wasn't sure what to do. He knew he _wanted_ to have sex with Rachel, but it was also more than just sex with her. He really cared about her. He was pretty sure that she knew that, but he needed to clarify it for his own peace of mind.

"Look, baby, I want to have sex with you," he started. As she leaned up to kiss him, but he put a finger to her lips, "when you're ready," he continued.

"Well, I think I am ready," she said simply.

He took in the determined spark (combined with intense heat he might add) in her eyes and involuntarily licked his lips. She was doing that crazy thing to his insides again. He wasn't sure he'd be able to resist her for much longer, and he really wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Rach, I want your first time to be special," he explained.

"It's my birthday; what could be more special than that?" she prodded.

Puck nestled beside her and took her face in his palms. "Baby, you just told me you think you're ready to have sex with me."

"And?" she nodded expectantly, clearly not understanding what the problem was.

He sighed and dragged her closer to his side. He bent down to whisper intimately, "I want you to _know_ you're ready."

She laid there in his arms taking in what he said. He was right. She wasn't sure if she was ready. But my goodness, she wanted to be ready so badly. His kisses melted her and wore down her resolve, and he didn't even realize it. She didn't understand the feelings that swirled inside her. But she did feel like a stupid girl for practically throwing herself at Noah. She sighed deeply.

"You're right," she said softly. "I mean, it has nothing to do with you," Rachel hurried to explain, although she was pretty sure Noah understood that anyway. "I trust you implicitly. It's just a big step."

Puck gave her a genuine smile as he propped up on his side with his elbow. "I know it is, babe. But, I want you to know: I'm not going anywhere. If that's what you're worried about, you rest your pretty little head. I'm in it for the long haul," he said as she scooted closer to him, resting her head on his arm. Nudging her so she'd look at him, he said with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes, "If you hadn't noticed, I'm pretty whipped. I mean, you nabbed Noah Puckerman and made him a one-woman man."

She grinned as he bent his head to kiss her softly. "And that makes me a very lucky woman," she whispered.

"I'd have to say we're both pretty lucky," he teased, tickling her sides. She squirmed and giggled uncontrollably until they were both laughing and gasping for air.

They spent the rest of the evening in comfortable banter. They laughed a little, made out a lot, and neither one gave their semi-serious talk another thought as they drifted off to a contented slumber.

* * *

**AN2: Text lyrics: "D is for Dangerous" (Allison Iraheta)**

**AN3: So, I really, _really _wanted to get to the Babygate stuff in this chapter, but it just didn't fit... I hope you all understand! Anyway, please remember that authors rely on feedback for encouragement and inspiration****! I will write and post chapters regardless, but I love when I hear your opinions on the story! I would appreciate greatly if you would please hit the green button and let me know how you feel about this chapter! ;o) Thanks! Remember, R&R=Love! :o)  
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	19. Hot Mess

**AN: Sorry this was such a late chapter! I was ill ALL week, but of course, I wasn't sick enough to skip out on seeing _Spring Awakening _this weekend!! lol It was ah-mazing by the way! Anyway, I truly hope you like this chapter. ****In this chapter (or any for that matter), I don't own anything...Song: "Hot Mess" (Cobra Starship); Notes: "Hot Mess" (Ashley Tisdale), "Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin), and "I Won't Disagree" (Kate Voegele)**

**Please remember, R&R=Love! :o)  
**

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Chapter 19: Hot Mess **_

Rachel groaned as she woke up to a bright room. A room that was much brighter than it should have been for six o'clock in the morning. She stretched out carefully, trying not to wake Noah who was still sleeping peacefully beside her. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It read 7:42 a.m. Immediately panicked, Rachel shook Noah awake.

"Noah, wake up! We have school in twenty minutes!" she shrieked.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled, turning over on his other side.

"No, Noah, now! We are going to be late!" she whined.

"Okay, okay, I'm up," he grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He took in the mussed appearance of his beautiful girlfriend. She was so gorgeous. "Are you sure you don't want to come back to bed?" he asked seductively.

Fluttering around the room, Rachel skidded to a stop and fisted her hands on her hips. "Noah Puckerman, please! We don't have much time!"

Laughing, he got up and crossed the room to where Rachel was searching for something to wear. "I'm sorry, baby," he pouted.

She instantly melted and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It's okay. We just overslept. I'm not even sure we have time to take showers," she whined.

"Lucky for you, I have gym today so I'll just shower at school. And that I had the foresight to bring clothes over," Puck said smugly.

"Oh, planning to stay the night, were we?" Rachel eyed him suspiciously as she made her way to the door.

"One can never be too prepared," he winked. "Now go shower before I threaten to join you!"

"NOAH!" she screeched.

"Kidding, kidding!" Puck laughed, throwing his hands up in surrender. Rachel glared at him and stormed out of the room. "But you'd like it!" he called after her. He smirked when he heard her scoff in indignation but snickered as he heard her musical laughter from the shower.

He dressed quickly and ran downstairs because the visual of Rachel in the shower a mere ten feet away was giving him dirty thoughts. So he proceeded to grab some cereal bars and fruit for their breakfast. Brushing his teeth in the kitchen sink, he glanced at the clock. Rachel was right; they'd have to hightail it if they wanted to make it to school on time. Not that he really cared about being on time, seeing as he rarely went to his first period class anyway. Just as he threw an apple in his bag, Rachel came rushing down the stairs dressed in tight black sweatpants and a simple hot pink Henley shirt. Her hair, which was still wet, was thrown into a messy bun. She'd foregone makeup in efforts to get out of the house quickly, but Puck thought she still looked amazing. Puck gave her an appreciative once over.

"Baby, I'm thinking this is the hottest I've ever seen you," he complimented before dropping a kiss on her lips.

"Oh, hush," Rachel said, playfully swatting at him. "I look a mess."

"A hot mess," Puck countered.

"You sound like Mercedes," she giggled.

"Awww, hell to the nah, I know you did not just say that!" Puck imitated the larger than life diva with surprising accuracy, complete with the finger snap.

Rachel burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of Noah with his hand on his hip, with one hand out like he was telling her, "talk to the hand." Shaking her head, she grabbed her bag and a water bottle and headed for the door.

"Come on, Noah," Rachel laughingly called over her shoulder. "And he calls me Crazy," she scoffed.

Piling into his truck, Puck flipped through his CDs and put one in the player before Rachel could see what it was. She regarded him suspiciously out of the corner of her eye, but quickly averted her gaze when he looked at her.

"What CD did you just put in there?" she asked nonchalantly.

"It's nothing," Puck said just as flippantly. "Just something I want to dedicate to you, babe," he winked.

Rachel gave him a side smile and shook her head. She had no idea what he was up to. He said he wanted to dedicate it to her, but his sneaky grin gave her pause. Surely there had to be something up his sleeve. He turned the volume up, and Rachel listened closely. Puck smirked at the look on her face; clearly, she either didn't know the song that was playing or didn't understand why he was playing it.

"Here's my favorite part," he said as he proceeded to sing along with the chorus.

_Well you're a hot mess and I'm fallin' for you  
And I'm like "hot damn, lemme make you my boo."  
'Cuz you can shake it, shake it, shake it  
Yeah you know what to do  
You're a hot mess  
I'm lovin' it. Hell yes!_

Rachel watched him in barely contained laughter. Puck was banging his head, drumming on the steering wheel, and obviously having a good time. He sang the rest of the song with flourish, which, by that time, had tears streaming down Rachel's face from giggling so hard.

"It's a good thing I'm not wearing mascara today, Noah Puckerman," Rachel scolded half-heartedly. "My face would be ruined."

"There's no way your face could ever be ruined," Puck said seriously.

Rachel's face flushed from his sweet compliment. "Thank you, Noah," she said sweetly.

See, this was why she loved being with Noah. Their relationship was easy, fun, carefree. It could be serious too. They weren't a perfect couple by any means. She was still a little too abrasive at times, and he was still a little moody and a little broody. But, he made her happy, and she knew he wouldn't be with her if he didn't want to be. He'd said last night she had turned him into a one-woman man. That was so surprising to her, even though she knew he was faithful. It was something about the way he said it with so much finality and contentment that made her heart swell. They had been a couple for a few months, but last night was a turning point for her. She felt herself fall a little bit in love with him.

Love was a strong word in Rachel Berry's vocabulary. It was not an emotion she took lightly once she finally figured out what it meant. She didn't know if she loved Noah yet, but it was the closest thing she could identify. She didn't want to say it until she was completely sure though. Rachel was not going to be the type of girl to throw that phrase around. So for now, she'd see how things went. She sighed happily and hummed along with the songs that played on their short ride to school.

Thankfully, Rachel's house wasn't far from the school, for they pulled in as the warning bell rang. Rachel was relieved that she'd have just enough time to grab her books from her locker and head to class. Puck helped her out of the truck and tugged her back to him as she began to walk toward the building.

"You're not going to just leave me without a kiss, are you?" he teased. "Even after I serenaded you?"

"Silly me," Rachel joked, leaning up to kiss Puck on the cheek.

He smiled down at her as they walked, well he walked and she skittered to keep up with his strides, to class. He was so lucky to have a girl like her. Rachel was beautiful, talented, witty, and smart. And for some strange reason, she liked him. Puck didn't know why she did it, but she had picked him.

"Bye, boo," Puck said lightly, as he dropped her off for class.

"Oh, Noah, please don't call me that," she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay," he chuckled, as he leaned over to whisper in her ears, "Later, you _hot_ mess, you."

Rachel blushed to the roots of her hair as she waved him off and sat down in her first period class. She rolled her eyes again as she thought about how silly her boyfriend was, even though she knew he meant well. She took out a piece of her star-shaped paper, and began to write him a note as Finn flopped in the chair beside her.

"Hey, Rachel," he said cheerily.

"Hello, Finn, how are you this morning?" Rachel asked kindly.

"A little tired, but I'm all right," Finn answered honestly.

"Aren't you getting enough rest? With Regionals coming up right around the corner, we cannot afford to have anyone's health to suffer from lack of sleep or taking care of themselves," Rachel chided.

"Nah, I'm fine, Rach. It's just Quinn is so pregnant now, it's hard for her to get comfortable enough to sleep," he explained.

"Oh, I see," she nodded, picturing Quinn's seven-month-pregnant body. "Well, I can see how that would be cumbersome," she concluded.

"Yeah, like having a huge basketball on your stomach!" he laughed.

Rachel smiled at Finn's audacious description of his pregnant girlfriend. "Finn, be nice to her; I'm sure she can't be comfortable," she scolded gently.

"Come on, Rach, I'm just teasing," Finn whined.

Rachel patted his arm as they both turned to pay attention to the lesson at hand. It ended soon enough, and Rachel slipped the note into Noah's locker. She headed to her locker, wary of all the awkward stares she was getting, indifference from the girls and leering from the boys. It made her a little nervous, and she wondered why the sudden interest in her. She was changing out her books when Kurt, Mercedes, and Santana rounded the corner jabbering about Beyoncé's summer tour. The three spared a quick glance at Rachel and then did a double take.

"_Cherie_, what are wearing?" Kurt asked frantically, feeling Rachel's cheeks and forehead for a fever.

"What are talking about, Kurt?" Rachel countered, immediately self-conscious of her relaxed attire.

"It's just we've never seen you in anything but Glee costumes or short skirts and knee socks," Santana said glibly.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you with my choice in clothing," Rachel apologized. "However, I woke up in a hurry, having forgotten to set my alarm clock."

"Late night with Puck, eh eh eh?" Mercedes nudged with a gleam in her eye.

"Oh em gee, did he give you–" Kurt gasped and then grinned like a Cheshire cat "–_birthday_ _sex_?!"

"What!? No!" Rachel sputtered, blushing furiously. "We're, um, I'm not ready for sex just yet. We just forgot to set an alarm."

For a split second, Mercedes' and Kurt's faces fell. Rachel bit her lip at their obvious dissatisfaction. It seemed they had actually hoped maybe their friend had gotten some. However, Rachel peeked at Santana and was surprised at what she saw. Santana caught her eye and gave her a nod with a look of almost admiration and jealousy. Rachel wasn't sure what to make of it so she settled on smiling at the Latina Cheerio. Mercedes broke the silence and offered Rachel some of her makeup if she wanted put some on before their next class. Kurt kissed all the girls on their cheeks and headed to gym. Santana said she had to go talk to Coach Sylvester about recruiting new members, so she flipped her hair and strutted down the hallway, swishing her skirt as she went.

* * *

Puck loved gym class. It was the one class he actually enjoyed. He could run and jump and throw with the best of them. Sometimes, when Coach Tanaka didn't want to waste his time on organized sports, the guys just lifted weights or sparred with each other. To him, it was just a bunch of guys being guys. It was pretty cool that all the guys in Glee had gym together too. They were actually becoming pretty close friends, closer than when most of the guys were just in football.

Puck dropped off his stuff in his locker and found a note from Rachel. Smiling widely, he opened it, knowing that it would make his day. What he saw cracked him up:

_You're so racy, you're my favorite guy  
So unruly, so uncivilized  
Cupid got me right between my eyes_

_I'm such a hot mess  
I'm such a hot mess  
I'm such a hot mess with you_

Puck stuck it in his pocket, loving that Rachel was so at ease teasing him. He grabbed his gym bag and headed to the locker room. After they played a few games of twenty-one, the boys showered and changed clothes. Matt, Mike, and Puck were laughing at something Artie was telling them when Dave Karofsky and some of the hockey players came wandering in. They were so absorbed with their lewd comments and all around douchebaggery, they didn't notice the Glee guys.

"Did anyone see Berry this morning? She came in looking good, totally JBF," Karofsky smirked.

Puck's ears perked at the mention of Rachel's name. The rest of the guys eyed each other in confusion.

"What's JBF, dude?" Rick Mills, the hockey goalie, asked dumbly.

Karofsky laughed and punched Mills in the arm and said, "Just been Fu–"

He didn't even finish his thought before he was slammed into the locker by a seething Noah Puckerman, flanked by Matt and Finn. Karofsky's eyes widened seeing the pure rage on Puck's face as he clenched Dave's shirt with his fist.

"You say another word about Rachel, and you will regret it," Puck hissed, slamming Karofsky's back into the locker for effect. "I will personally make sure you won't have the body parts to ever make another girl look JBF again," Puck spat out. "She is MY girl. You better spread the word: Rachel Berry is off limits."

Matt, Mike, and Finn looked ready to pounce too. Artie took matters into his own hands and ran over the other guys' feet, causing Karofsky to cower as Artie nonchalantly rolled closer to him.

"Rachel is a lady, and you sir are a pig," Kurt spoke up from the bench behind the guys as he filed his nails.

"What Puck said goes for us too, tough guy," Mike threatened. "Rach is our girl. We hear you say anything about her–"

"Or touch her," Finn interjected

"And you'll get it," Matt finished.

Seeing Karofsky and the other jerks sufficiently alarmed, Puck reared back and punched the locker next to Karofsky's face as hard as he could. Might as well get the point across, right? And Rach would be proud that he didn't shed any blood this time. Then, Puck and the rest of the guys walked (and rolled) out of the locker room with their heads held high.

"Thanks for the backup in there, guys," Puck said once they were headed down the hallway.

"No problem, man," Finn said, clapping him on the back. "We're bros. We got your back."

"Of course," Kurt said, smiling wistfully at Finn's back.

"Anyway, let's get to class," Matt said, as they all went their separate ways.

Puck gave his boys high fives and slaps on their backs then he headed to Rachel's locker. He had another note in mind for her. He smiled wickedly as he grabbed a notebook from his bag and wrote the note and stuck it in Rachel's locker. As cheesy as it sounded, he enjoyed this little game he played with her. It was fun to him to try to come up with lyrics that fit what he wanted to say. Rachel was so good with music; it came naturally to her. However, as much as he loved music, Puck was never one to express himself through it. But, yet again, Rachel was rubbing off on him in that way as well. So, the notes were their secrets, and he liked it that way.

Puck sauntered toward the nurse's office but was stopped when Mr. Schuester stuck his head out of his office.

"Puck!" he called.

"Sir?" Puck answered, turning around. Geez, apparently Rachel was even rubbing off in the manners department.

"I want to see the Glee club in seventh period for a few minutes to recap Sectionals and discuss what we're going to do for Regionals. Pass the word?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Schue," Puck acquiesced.

"Thanks, Puck!" Mr. Schuester said.

"No problem. Later, Mr. Schue!" Puck said, waving as he walked off.

* * *

Usually Rachel found school enjoyable, but for some reason, today was exhausting. She chalked it up to a late night talking and kissing her boyfriend, as well as dodging weird glances from people who found that it was odd she could dress normally. Plus, she had a feeling Kurt and Mercedes didn't believe that she and Noah didn't have sex. Oh well, she thought, if they don't believe the truth, there's nothing I can do about that. Thankfully, lunch was soon, and she'd get to see Noah. Opening her locker, a note from Noah fell out.

_You need coolin', baby, I'm not foolin',  
I'm gonna send you back to schoolin'_

She giggled to herself. Only Noah would be cheeky enough to follow up her "Hot Mess" note with talking of "coolin'." He was such a flirt, and she loved it. She had another note in mind, but right now she wanted to get to lunch and kiss her mischievous boyfriend.

Rachel was nibbling on a carrot stick when Puck came up behind her kissing her cheek. She smiled and leaned into his touch.

"Hey, boo," Puck teased, setting his tray of practically inedible food down beside Rachel.

Oh how quickly her demeanor changed at the mention of that word. Rachel groaned, rolling her eyes at the comment, while Kurt and Mercedes cracked up at Puck trying to be all smooth with his girl.

"Noah, I swear, if you call me 'boo' again, I might have to karate chop you to the jugular," Rachel threatened with an eerie calm, never once looking up from her turkey sandwich.

Puck's jaw dropped as Mercedes let out a gasp of disbelief. Artie took that moment to wheel up to the table.

"Did I just hear you threaten Puck with physical force?" he inquired.

"Diva just laid the verbal smack down on her man!" Mercedes said with a laugh. "Nice!"

The rest of the table laughed as Puck jutted out his lip in a puppy dog pout. Rachel grinned impudently at the look on his face, but leaned over to kiss him on the lips.

"Aw, hon, you know I'm just playing," Rachel cooed. "About the karate chop, not the disdain for the term 'boo', that is," she winked.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Puck grinned skeptically, but returned her kiss eagerly.

"Please, lovebirds, cease and desist on the PDA," Kurt tutted.

"Sorry, Kurtie," Rachel giggled.

"Oh, before I forget," Puck started, "Schue wants us to meet in the Glee room for seventh period. Something about prepping early for Regionals or something."

"I think that is a wise decision on Mr. Schuester's part," Rachel decided. "If we are going to have a fighting chance against Carmel's refined choreography and their flawless vocals, we must start early."

The rest of the table agreed with Rachel's points and spent the rest of lunch discussing possible songs and how to improve their dancing. It was a normal, relaxing lunchtime, but sadly, it was over too soon for Rachel's liking. She got up to head to her sixth period class, turning to Noah before she left.

"Want to meet me at my locker so we can walk to Glee together?" Rachel smiled sweetly.

"You know it, babe," Puck winked. Kissing her soundly, Noah placed a stray hair behind her ear. "I'll see you later."

Rachel hurried and dropped her last note in Noah's locker before her last class of the day. She knew he'd stop by his locker before meeting at hers.

* * *

And just like she knew he would, Puck stopped by his locker and found the note. Once again, he smiled wider after reading it.

_Lately you make me weaker in the knees  
And race through my veins, baby,  
Every time you're close to me  
Take me away to places I ain't seen  
They say you've got a hold on me  
And I won't disagree_

Again, this is what he liked so much about Rachel. Her notes always found a way into his heart. Some notes were goofy and playful. Others were suggestive and out of character for Rachel, but he loved it. Walking down the hall, he spotted her leaning on her locker. Puck wolf-whistled at her, making her turn and smile at him.

"Hello, handsome," she seductively whispered as he quickly closed the distance between them.

"Hi," was all he said as he dipped his head to capture her lips. She pressed her small frame into his larger one so there was only a fraction of space between them.

"So I know I don't normally comment on them, because it's our little game," Puck began, "but that last note you sent? Totally hot."

Rachel's eyes gleamed as she smiled up at Puck. There was a faint blush to her cheeks, and Puck never got tired of seeing it.

"I thought maybe you'd like it," she smirked. "It's true, you know."

Throwing his arm around his shoulder around Rachel and pulling her close, Puck led her to the Glee room. They were just outside the room when Tina rushed out in tears. Rachel looked at Puck frantically, but he just nodded for her to go in.

"I'll talk to her," Puck offered.

"Okay," she relented, wondering if she should help her friend. But, Kurt and Mercedes walked up obviously confused, and all three headed into the Glee room.

Puck rounded the corner and found Tina cowering by the water fountain.

"W-w-what are you doing here, Puck," Tina sobbed.

"You can drop the act, Tina," Puck said, though not unkindly.

"Artie found out," Tina wailed. "I didn't even get to explain."

Puck slid down the wall and slid closer to Tina. "What's the big deal?"

"He thought I was different; that we were different together," Tina sniffed. She drew up her legs and hugged her knees. "He's mad because I lied. I can turn my stutter on and off, but he can't pretend not to be handicapped. He's in there right now probably telling everyone how horrible I am."

"I see," Puck answered thoughtfully. He looked at the miserable Goth next to him, and he took a deep breath. "You know, sometimes, we lie to keep ourselves safe. And sometimes, we lie to keep others safe," he explained. Tina looked up curiously at him so he continued, "Seems to me that you did both. So just apologize."

"I tried," Tina whined.

"Well, try again," Puck pushed, as he helped Tina to her feet. "Keep trying until he listens. He needs to hear the whole truth."

Tina smiled hesitantly.

"Now go in there," Puck persisted. "I'm sure Rachel is forming an intervention right now. Tell her I'll be right back."

"Okay," Tina said quietly. "Thanks, Puck."

"It's all good, Tina," Puck gave a small smile. "Go make it right," he said giving her a little push.

As Puck watched her go, a niggling thought entered his brain. The conversation struck a strong chord with Puck and now he had to talk to Quinn. He was tired of lying. He really wanted to tell Rachel about the baby, but he felt torn by Quinn's desire to keep the truth hidden. It was so frustrating to him, because the longer this ruse went on, the more trouble he knew they were headed for. And that pissed him off, because he knew he could potentially lose Rachel. So, this time, he wasn't going to ask Quinn to tell the truth; he was going to tell her to.

"Quinn," he called to the pretty blonde at her locker. She looked frustrated from the way she yanked her locker open.

"What do you want, Puck?" she heaved a sigh.

"I need to tell Rachel the truth," he said plainly. "Look, I know you don't want to, but I really need to tell her."

"Puck, we've discussed this," Quinn said through gritted teeth. "I'm not telling Finn, so you can't tell Rachel."

Puck was seething at her refusal. "God, you are so selfish!" Puck yelled.

He expected her to yell back, but all she did was lean her head on the inside of her open locker door. "Don't you see?" she asked. "If we tell, we'll both lose the people we love."

That stopped Puck dead in his tracks. Did he love Rachel? He wasn't positive, but he knew that he'd never felt love for a girl other than his mom and his sister. What he felt for Rachel was as close to love as he could recognize. That's why he needed to tell her the truth. Puck mimicked Quinn's action and leaned his forehead on the locker in front of him.

"I think I might love her, Quinn," Puck pleaded. "And because I might love her, I can't keep the truth from her."

Still, Quinn wouldn't budge. "No, Puck, I can't do that to him. I can't tell Finn," she whispered.

As she slammed her locker, she saw him, standing there as his goofy smile faded into confusion.

"Tell Finn what?"

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**AN2: Don't hate me. Please let me know what you think about this chapter. I am already writing the next chapter, and it's actually rather emotional for me to do. So I really need some feedback to keep me going. Thanks, lovely readers!  
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	20. Loose Lips Sink Ships

**AN: Sorry for the wait. Be aware: The angst muffins are in the oven... (thanks to Going Vintage for that term!) Please R&R! Thank you all! :o)**

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Chapter 20: Loose Lips Sink Ships**_

Mr. Schue walked in the Glee room rambling in a way that would give Rachel Berry a run for her money, but he stopped short to find his Glee members scattered around the room, looking out of sorts. Mercedes, Kurt, and Rachel were on one side of the room anxiously watching Tina and Artie sit in the middle of the room in uncomfortable silence, while Matt, Mike, Brittany, and Santana were on the other side in their own conversation, eyeing the teens who were obviously fighting and miserable. Finn, Quinn, and Puck, however, were nowhere to be found.

"Hey guys, where are the others?" Mr. Schue asked.

Everyone looked up at Mr. Schue and then around the room in confusion.

"Puck said he'd be right back," Tina said quietly.

Mr. Schuester's eyes widened as he witnessed Tina speak without a stutter for the first time since she sang "Tonight." He opened his mouth to say something when Rachel caught his eye with a panicked warning stare and a quick shake of her head. _Not now_, she mouthed, and thankfully, he got the hint. He was about to start talking about something less controversial when they heard an angry voice yelling, "Tell the truth, Quinn!"

Just then, Quinn rushed in the room with Finn and Puck hot on her tail. Everyone stood shocked as they took in the sights of the three teens—Quinn with tears streaming down her face, Finn with a snarl on his face and fire shooting from his eyes, and Puck with a look of guilt mixed with nausea. The others could do nothing but sit and watch the scene unfold before them.

"Don't walk away from me, Quinn Fabray!" Finn yelled. Quinn winced as more tears leaked out of her closed eyes.

"Stop yelling at her, man," Puck tried to placate Finn without getting too close. He inched closer to Finn, but Finn violently shrugged the impending arm to his shoulder.

"Don't you tell me what to do! You...you sorry excuse for a human being and friend!" Finn accused.

"Finn!" Rachel gasped. She began to stalk toward the tall quarterback, but froze when he whirled around to yell at her.

"No! They're lying to me! I know it!" he cried.

Twelve pairs of eyes watched his every move as he thrashed about the room, throwing up his hands and pacing frantically. "I heard them talking about the baby! They've been lying the whole time!"

By this time, to say everyone was confused would be a vast understatement, but when Rachel heard Finn mention Quinn's baby, her heart dropped. Something was very wrong; she knew it in her gut. It was like her sixth sense was trying to tell her something, but she could do nothing but watch as her world fell to pieces in front of her. Finn stopped pacing long enough to stand in front of Quinn who was hovering near Brittany and Santana. They were hugging her and whispering soothing things, but when he came to stand before her, Quinn pried herself away from their arms to look him in the eye.

"Tell me the truth," Finn whispered harshly.

Quinn let out one last sob before whispering, "Puck is the father."

A collective gasp ran throughout the room. Rachel swore she felt her heart stop within her chest. She looked at Puck in confusion, and although his eyes were pleading with her to understand, the sad nod and shame that covered his face were confirmation enough. Hearing Quinn's words seemed to propel Finn into action. He flew across the room and tackled Puck to the ground, landing a punch square on Puck's jaw. After the third blow, Puck raised his arms in attempts to shield his face, but he didn't fight back for he knew he deserved the punches he received. For a time, no one did anything but watch Finn pummel him, astonished that Puck was not even trying to fight back. It wasn't until Rachel screamed, "Stop, Finn! Please!" that Mr. Schue came out of his shock-induced stupor and pulled Finn off of Puck. Mr. Schue held Finn as he struggled to break free and punch Puck again, so Matt and Mike got between the boys just in case.

Puck got up slowly, brushing himself off. Even though she was the one who stopped Finn from continuing to pound Puck's face in, Rachel was still frozen in shock. She wanted to go to him, but she couldn't make her feet move. All her energy was focused on two things: breathing and not crying. Puck watched in pain as the girl whom he never wanted to hurt was caught in a mental tug-of-war. He felt horrible; the news he wanted to tell her so desperately came out in the worse possible fashion, and he couldn't do anything except pray Rachel would listen once the tension died down.

"Why did you lie to me, Quinn?! Why couldn't you have just dumped me, instead of whoring it up with my best friend!?" Finn shouted.

"Finn," Mr. Schuester warned, jerking Finn's arm a little more roughly than necessary for the comment he just made.

"No, no, no!" Quinn swore, "I chose you! Don't you see? I know it's no excuse, but that's why I lied. I wanted _you _to be the father! You were supposed to be the father!" she broke down, sobs wracking her pregnant body. "My first, I wanted it to be you. It should have been you; it was _supposed _to be you..." she whimpered softly, chest heaving for air.

Those in the room watched helplessly as Quinn hugged herself and rocked back and forth, muttering "you, you, you" over and over again. Santana and Brittany moved to the floor and did their best to scoop their best friend into comforting hugs. Puck's heart broke for Quinn, and he felt like even more of a jerk than he already was for taking her virginity, albeit it wasn't entirely his fault. And of all the responses Finn could have given, he surprised everyone by scoffing outright.

"So that's why you didn't want to keep the baby, huh?" Finn taunted, "Because it wasn't mine?!

"No! I couldn't keep the baby because I promised Terri Schue–" Quinn gasped and covered her mouth as the words flew out.

Those in the room let out the second collective gasp in a matter of moments. Rachel watched as Mr. Schuester's ears perked up at the mention of his wife's name. She closed her eyes in pain; so many lives were being turned upside down, she couldn't stand it.

"What are you talking about, Quinn?" Finn bit out angrily.

Quinn choked on more tears before she could speak clearly. "I'm seventeen. I can't raise a child. I didn't know what to do, so when Terri Schuester came up to me, wanting to adopt the baby..." Quinn's explanation drifted off as she looked Mr. Schuester in the eye. "She's not really pregnant. I'm so sorry, Mr. Schue," she said as she rushed to her feet as quickly as her pregnant body would allow and ran out the door, weeping from having said too much.

Santana and Brittany followed quickly after Quinn. Puck noticed Mr. Schue had turned white as a sheet, realizing his wife had been lying. He looked like he was about to faint.

"Matt, Mike," Mr. Schue said absently, motioning for the two to make sure they had a firm grasp on Finn. The boys nodded as Matt held onto Finn, and Mike stood poised and ready to jump between the two if necessary. Not even comprehending that he was leaving his team in a time of crisis, Mr. Schuester ran out the door.

Puck looked around the room at the emotions written on his peers' faces. Mercedes and Kurt looked heartbroken, Matt and Mike were confused, Tina and Artie looked sympathetic, Finn was still boiling mad, and Rachel, his beautiful Rachel, looked hurt beyond words. He moistened his lips so he could speak.

"Finn, I am so sorry, man. We screwed up. It was a mistake," he apologized, his voice gravelly with emotion.

"Sorry!? You're sorry!?" Finn yelled incredulously. He attempted to break free of Matt's hold, but Mike pushed him back. "NO!" he shouted, "You don't get to say you're _sorry _to me! You took everything from me! My girlfriend! My baby! Everything! I am done with you! I am just done!" With one last shove to get Matt and Mike away, Finn stormed out.

Puck was breathing hard from the verbal blows Finn had given. He looked at Matt and Mike, who looked unsure of what to do. Both guys were their teammates, and they didn't want to take sides. Puck knew this so when they nodded their support, he returned his appreciation, and the two boys ran after Finn. The room was tense and silent as everyone waited to see how Rachel would respond to everything. Puck watched her carefully, longing to explain his piece.

Rachel's mind was reeling. She kept opening and closing her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. She thought back to last night. He had been so sweet not to pressure her when she realized she wasn't ready to have sex. But what if she had been? They could have...they _would _have...and without one word from him about the baby...the truth. Rachel visibly cringed and locked her betrayed brown eyes with his remorse-laden hazel ones. She felt like an anchor weighed heavy on her chest.

"I trusted you," she let out in a strangled whisper, then fled from the room.

Puck scrunched his eyes closed in pain as he was pretty sure his heart broke in his chest. Mercedes and Tina mumbled their apologies and Kurt patted Puck's shoulder sympathetically before all three left the room in search of Rachel.

Puck slumped in a chair with his head in his hands. For a second he just sat there, wondering if anything could possibly go back to the way it was. Then, he heard the slight squeak of a wheelchair. When he looked up, a solemn Artie was staring back at him.

"Why did you stay?" Puck asked hoarsely. He didn't mind the company, but it confused him as to why Artie would stick with him when Rachel or even Finn could use the moral support of a friend. He didn't deserve anyone's friendship after what he did. Or at least, that's what he felt like. "Don't you think I'm some horrible person?"

"We all err; it's human. I'm here because you need a friend. You chose to be here when we needed you," Artie shrugged, referring to mix-up they had awhile back between Glee rehearsals and football. "You need us now."

To say that Puck was surprised would be an understatement. He knew that once they'd gotten over their rocky past, he and Abrams were cool. They had forged a friendship of sorts built on Twinkies and guitars. But it still came as a shock to hear Artie call him friend.

"Come on," Artie's voice broke through Puck's silent thoughts. "Let's sing it out."

"Huh?" Puck questioned.

Artie looked Puck straight in the eye and said confidently, "Singing will help you deal with your aggression."

Puck scoffed at the statement. "Dude. I get my aggression out with my fists," he said, crossing his arms and turning slightly away from Artie.

"I know," Artie agreed as he rolled so that he was back face-to-face with Puck, "but that's usually detrimental to someone's face or property."

Puck chuckled hollowly. Truer words had never been spoken. Still, it was a kooky idea. Artie seemed to read his hesitation.

"Look, I can see all your emotions about to fly out in a rage. At least do something productive with them," he pressed.

Puck took a deep breath and thought about it. Singing was Rachel's way of dealing with things, and the thought of that made his chest close up and made him really want to punch something. Still, he wanted to give her some time to think, and if singing could bring him the closest to her figuratively, then he guessed that's what it would take. He looked down at the somber Artie Abrams who was analyzing Puck's every move. Puck rolled his eyes and eased himself off the risers. There was no way he was going to argue with a guy in a wheelchair.

"Okay, Abrams, lead on," he said, motioning for Artie to take the lead.

* * *

Mercedes, Tina, and Kurt found Rachel and whisked her into an empty classroom to check on her. After many tears, hugs, and threats of physical abuse from Mercedes, Rachel assured them she was all right and insisted they go ahead and leave. She just wanted to be alone for awhile. They were clearly skeptical, but decided it was best to let Rachel have the peace she wanted.

After they left, Rachel flew out the door so fast and into the bathroom for some tissue that she didn't even realize someone else was in there crying. It wasn't until Quinn spoke that Rachel looked over to find her, Brittany, and Santana hovering in the corner.

"He wanted to tell you," Quinn said quietly.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"He always wanted to tell you the truth. I wouldn't let him," Quinn clarified. "I thought he was just a Lima loser; that's why I chose to keep it a secret. He wanted to take responsibility. Just thought you should know," she finished with a shrug.

Rachel had no idea what to say in return; this new information was making her even more confused. It was obvious Quinn didn't want a response, just to get that off her chest. Rachel mumbled an "okay" and got out of their way. It was then she realized that she wasn't the only one hurting. In fact, she figured it was almost selfish of her to be hurt; she wasn't the one who was pregnant or cheated on or trying to make things right. She was just a part of it by association, because she truly liked Puck with her whole being. And because it was happening to him, it was happening to her. She just wasn't sure if she could handle it.

Rachel wandered down the hall to the auditorium, and wondered why she was in the back of the auditorium instead of onstage singing her heart out. But for the first time _ever_, she didn't feel like singing. She couldn't sing. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't understand. She wished for a second that she hadn't run out on Noah. She'd seen it on his face; he needed her at that moment, and she'd let him down. But he had let her down too. Shaking her head so she wouldn't cry, Rachel focused on her breathing when she heard movement from her beloved stage. As she peeked over the railing, she saw Artie and Puck make their way up the new handicapped ramp.

"Are you sure this isn't stupid?" Puck asked doubtfully.

"Not at all, man. I come here all the time," Artie reassured.

Rachel watched as they plugged in Artie's electric guitar and flipped the switch so the microphone would work. She swallowed thickly as she realized Puck was going to sing something.

"Okay, you know the song?" Puck called over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Artie replied, beginning the first chords.

Puck took a deep breath but right before he sang, he whispered, "This is for you, Rach. I'm so sorry."

Rachel's hand flew to her mouth in surprise. Had she heard that right?

_You broke when I just bent  
You cried  
I never meant to break you down__  
This time, did I steal the best of you?_

_Can you breathe tonight  
As the air is leaving you?  
Scream tonight__  
Like the words are new to you?  
__Can we go back to the last time my arms could carry you?_  
_Breathe tonight  
You're alive_

Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. How did he know she couldn't even breathe? It amazed her that he knew her so well, even when they were on the outs.

_Lost__  
Don't leave me in the dark alone  
Shine a light_  
'_Cause you're the road that got me home_  
'_Cause I, I never knew that love was true  
Did you?_

_Can you breathe tonight  
As the air is leaving you?  
Scream tonight  
Like the words are new to you?  
Can we go back to the last time my arms could carry you?  
Breathe tonight  
You're alive_

Rachel watched as Artie took the guitar solo as Puck sank to his knees. She just wanted to run up to him and ask him to hold her. But she stayed where she was, like the stubborn mule she was.

_You broke when I just bent  
Goodbye, only if you're over it_

Puck's voice cracked as he sang those words, and Rachel's heart wanted to scream: I'm not! I'm not over it. Don't say goodbye. Please. But she just watched as Puck took a deep breath and continued to sing the last chorus.

_Can you breathe tonight  
As the air is leaving you?  
Scream tonight  
Like the words are new to you?  
Can we go back to the last time my arms could carry you?  
Breathe tonight  
You're alive  
You're alive_

Rachel watched as Puck finished the song, hitting a note he'd never hit before. Under different circumstances, she would have congratulated him on an impressive job. But she was hurt and confused, so instead of running to him, she ran out the door.

* * *

Puck was surprised at how singing really did help him get his emotions in check. He wanted so desperately to talk to Rachel, but didn't know if she'd even want to see him. Puck knew one thing: he would give her time, but he was going to fight for her. He and Rachel had something good, something real, and he couldn't let that slip away. However, in the same breath with which he swore to fight for her, he also was felt perhaps he didn't deserve her. He was nothing but a Lima loser, and now more than just Quinn knew it.

Walking out to his truck, Puck felt a surge of hope when he saw a note under his windshield wiper. Taking it out, he read Rachel's words.

_Noah,_

_I heard your song. No, I can't breathe, but I don't want to say goodbye yet. I just need some time to think. But I want to talk about it. We __need__ to talk about it. _

_Rachel_

Puck let out the breath he had been holding. She needed time. He knew that, but how much time did she want? He wasn't sure he could wait very long. Sullen, he resigned himself to going home for the night and talking to Rachel tomorrow. He just hoped by then she would be ready to hear him out.

* * *

Dinner at Puck's house was an unusually quiet event. For all the times Nina would chatter on about her day and her friends, tonight she was dead silent. It was as if she could tell something was bothering Puck and was too afraid to mention it. Hannah also recognized the morose mood of her oldest child.

"Honey, are you okay?" she asked as they finished their dessert.

"Not really, Ma," Puck sighed. "But I don't want to talk about it right now," he explained, nodding discreetly toward Nina.

Hannah understood her son's meaning and pressed a kiss to Nina's cheek. "Baby, why don't you finish your cake in the living room?"

"Really?" Nina asked in wonder. "Okay!"

Once Nina was safely out of earshot, Hannah turned to her son, waiting for him to talk. When it was clear he wasn't going to discuss anything without a little prodding, she dove in with questions.

"Did you have a fight with Rachel?" she asked carefully.

"Yes…no…I don't really know," Puck said shaking his head.

"What happened, Noah?" she questioned, reaching her hand across the table to pat his arm.

Puck took a deep breath. He knew he had to tell his mom about Quinn and the baby; she was going to be a grandmother, after all. He just hoped she'd take it well.

"It's like this: before I was with Rachel, I had sex with this girl," Puck started.

Hannah was no idiot; she knew her son wasn't some innocent virgin. "Noah, I'd be naïve to think that you weren't having sex. I just hope you are responsible."

"I am, Mom, every time," he defended himself. "Well, almost every time," he quietly amended.

Hannah knew from the look on his face that Noah was in trouble. Had he gotten some girl pregnant? Oh Noah, she thought sympathetically. Tears immediately sprung in her eyes as she took in the tortured face of her son.

"Is she pregnant, dear?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah," Puck whispered hoarsely, running his hand over his Mohawk. "But, that's not the worst of it."

"Oh, Noah, what is it?" Hannah cried, panic laced in her words.

"The girl is Quinn Fabray," Noah mumbled.

"Finn's girlfriend?!" Hannah exclaimed. "Noah, how could you do such a thing?"

Puck ducked his head for the verbal lashing he expected from his mother, but the tirade never came. Instead, she just cried. So, Puck walked around the table to hold her, whispering his apologies in her ear. He didn't like dealing with crying girls, especially his mom, and _especially_ when it was something he did to make her cry. Once her tears died down, he explained the whole story to her from the night Quinn had called him all the way up to the events in the Glee room today.

"I need to talk to Rachel, but I don't know if she'll listen," Puck said miserably. "I don't even deserve to be listened to."

"Noah," Hannah began, "whether or not, she listens to or believes or forgives you, Rachel needs to hear the truth. She's an understanding young lady, and I know she cares for you deeply. Go to her, son."

That was all the resolve Puck needed. He got up, kissed his mom, and headed for the door. He got to Rachel's house in record time and spent a few minutes outside her door, not even knocking. Finally, he gathered the courage to knock.

Raymond opened the door; the look on his face told Puck that he was privy to the fact that Puck had screwed up, but he wasn't sure if Ray knew exactly what Puck had done. Puck's eyes pleaded with Raymond, begging him to allow him inside. Raymond was torn—on the one hand, he knew his baby girl was hurting, but on the other hand, the only way they'd get past this argument was to talk it out. Fortunately, Rachel had come to see who was at the door and made his decision for him.

"You can let him in, Dad," she said quietly. Raymond opened the door wider for Puck to walk through. Then, he kissed Rachel on the head and went off to find Ethan in order to give the two some privacy.

Puck stood just inside the doorjamb, regarding Rachel carefully. It was obvious from the red nose, puffy eyes, and tear streaks on her cheeks that she had been crying. Puck didn't blame her. For the first time since his dad left and since this whole mess started, he was tempted to break down and weep like a baby. Rachel's eyes were cast on the ground, and she held her arms across her stomach as if she were holding herself together. Puck longed to sweep her up in his arms, but was afraid his touch, no matter how loving, would be unwelcome. He cleared his throat, willing her to look at him.

"I wanted to come find you, but I wanted to give you time. You know, in case you decided you never want to see me again," Puck said quietly.

Rachel nodded so he took that as a sign to continue. "What happened between me and Quinn was a mistake; we were both mad at Finn for ditching us for Glee…and you," he explained.

Rachel raised her eyes to look at him in confusion.

"Quinn called me after Cheerios weigh ins. She couldn't get a hold of Finn, and she was pissed. I brought over wine coolers to help her relax," Puck went on. "One second she was complaining about Finn and how she felt fat, and then next, she's kissing me."

Puck took a pause to see how Rachel was taking things. Puck was not much for speeches, but he knew he had to get this all out. She appeared to be listening and judging the story pragmatically, so Puck figured he could finish.

"It went too far, but I need you to know something," Puck took a chance and reached for Rachel's hand. He figured it was a good sign that she didn't pull away. "It was her idea. I mean, I probably shouldn't have let it happen, but I'm not that guy. I would never force myself on someone."

"I know," Rachel said quietly, and she did know. Sometimes they got carried away but when she asked, he always stopped, no questions asked, even though she knew he was disappointed. She was too, but she just wasn't ready. He had made it clear to her the night before that he respected her enough to wait. And he always reassured her that he was not going to other people to fulfill any sort of _needs_ or urges he had.

"I wanted to take responsibility the whole time. Quinn just called me a Lima loser, saying I wasn't fit to be a dad. That killed me, Rachel," he pleaded with her. "I don't want to be a deadbeat like my dad. I kept thinking I could change her mind, so I agreed to keep quiet. I wanted to tell you," he finished.

"I know," Rachel repeated. "Quinn told me."

She looked deep into his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. It didn't do much to lessen the pain, but she did feel a little better hearing the whole story.

"I can't pretend that I'm okay with this, Noah," Rachel said. "Even if you weren't with me at the time, it doesn't change the fact that you are having a child with another woman. And the thought of that rips me up inside," she whispered, her voice catching on a sob.

"I know, and I am so sorry," Noah apologized as he pulled her into a hug. "I never meant to hurt you," he said into her hair.

Pulling away gently but remaining in his arms, Rachel looked up at him and said, "I know you did what you had to do by keeping it secret, but that doesn't mean I condone it. Finn was your best friend. You hurt him," she said sharply. Then, her eyes softened as she placed her hand on his chest. "But, I can see how much this has hurt you too."

She leaned up and kissed him chastely on the cheek. "So, I'm going to _try_ to get past this. We can work through this together. I can't promise anything, but I will try," she said.

After hearing her words, Puck expected to feel a burden lift off his shoulders. And he did, but still a part of him felt worse than before. Here Rachel was, this perfect, beautiful person in his eyes, and she was willing to try to forgive his stupid mistakes. He didn't deserve that. He just hoped he could make it up to her and prove to her that he was the good person she was inspiring him to be.

For Rachel, she was still hurt by the situation, but she believed in second chances. Noah was a good person. He apologized to her, and she knew he was sincere. So, she'd work on forgiveness; it was the least she could do. But, in her heart she knew it would take a lot more work than just trying.

As Puck leaned down to kiss her, he gave a half-smile and whispered, "Thank you," his mouth still on hers.

Rachel was too relieved that he was kissing her to notice that Noah's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

**

* * *

*Important AN2:* Even if you've never reviewed before or never plan to again (although I hope that's never the case! lol), ****please**** drop me a line letting me know what you think of this chapter. It would really mean a lot to me to know if you liked it, hated it, or felt any other emotion while reading. Please. Thank you. **


	21. Beautiful Is Gone

**AN: Wow. I am so overwhelmed by the response I got to the last chapter. My _sincerest _gratitude to you all. Here is the next installment..longest chapter I think I've written. A few notes: The angst muffins may be out of the oven, but that doesn't mean they aren't still cooling in the kitchen....Also, I struggled with Puck's inner workings in this chapter. I tried to put in some of the insecurities I think he faces but tries so desperately to hide from others. So please do not see this as one step forward and two steps back, but as a progression of Noah's character. (Note I used Puck and Noah separately.) One last thing: the chapter title is from the song "Beautiful Is Gone" by The Ruse. Lovely song, and I think its message fits this chapter well as a whole. Check out the lyrics if you want. Please R&R! :o) **

_**

* * *

Chapter 21:**_ _**Beautiful Is Gone**_

Three long weeks passed since Babygate broke loose (thanks to Kurt, at least there was a name for the awful situation), and Rachel knew Noah was pulling away. She had expected the first week to be edgy, because let's face it: they had life-altering news thrust upon them. But, it wasn't just Rachel and Puck who were on edge; the whole club was in a rut. Tina and Artie weren't speaking. Quinn and Finn weren't speaking. Actually, Finn wasn't talking to anyone. Rachel tried to engage him in small talk during the class they shared, but Finn seemed to push her away simply because she was trying to work things out with Puck. Apparently, being on Puck's "side" meant she couldn't be friends with Finn; not that Puck said she couldn't, but because Finn didn't want her to be. Matt and Mike were stuck in the middle, offering their support and friendship to both Finn and Puck. Mr. Schuester walked around like a zombie; he didn't know what he could do for his team when he couldn't keep his own marriage from crumbling. It was like the Babygate situation had aged them all beyond their years.

Needless to say, Rachel gave Puck a wide berth the first week. She needed space herself, but she felt that he needed it as well. However, the next two weeks that followed were the toughest. To uncommon eyes, Rachel and Puck's relationship was fine. They still kissed and held hands and talked during the day, but if anyone bothered to look closer, it could be seen that the relationship was tense at best. Gone were the teasing, flirty notes. Rachel always felt like she was walking on eggshells around Puck. She didn't understand why he was pushing her away. She had her suspicions that he wanted to be with Quinn, but every time she asked him, he hugged her and vehemently swore that was not the case. Then, he would kiss her and thank her for giving him another chance. But even still, he'd go back to putting space between them.

It was the little things that continued to hurt Rachel. He canceled a date to take Quinn to the doctor. He blew off her daddy's lasagna because Quinn wanted to discuss adoptive families. Rachel understood that all this had to happen now that Puck was known to be the father. She and Quinn still talked on a normal basis, mainly about the baby, and the blonde always thanked Rachel for being so kind and understanding. She knew Quinn wasn't taking him away on purpose, but it didn't lessen her pain each time he walked away from her.

Rachel wanted desperately to talk to Puck, to understand why he was pushing her away, but she just couldn't find the words. So, she left him notes. Not the sweet, lighthearted notes they once left for each other; no, these were heartfelt, each one more pleading than the last. Kurt told her more than once that she wasn't fighting hard enough, but Rachel insisted that she was doing the only thing she knew to do. Rachel knew Puck didn't handle emotions well; she knew he would come talk to her when he was ready. She just hoped it would be soon.

* * *

Puck knew he was pulling away from Rachel. He also knew it wasn't fair to her, but he didn't know what else to do. Rachel had told him that she would try to get past the situation, so Puck was trying to give her space to do that. He knew it was stupid, but a part of him still felt like he didn't deserve the forgiveness she was trying to give him. So he put distance between them. He knew he was potentially sabotaging his relationship, but he didn't know what else to do. Puck felt more like a Lima loser now than he ever had before.

It killed him every time he saw the hurt in her eyes when she asked if he wanted to be with Quinn. It wasn't like that at all, and Puck did his best to show her that. But, it wasn't easy when Quinn still had doctor's appointments and baby stuff to deal with. Now that he was able to openly worry about his kid, Puck became a little more than preoccupied. And Rachel was bearing the brunt of it. Puck hated himself for that.

One night, he laid on his bed after another exhausting dinner-and-interrogation with his mother, looking at all the notes Rachel had sent him over the past few weeks. Each note pierced his heart, and he realized, not for the first time, that what he was doing wasn't fair to any of them.

The first was short and simple:

_If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you. _

And Puck knew she would. Not that he deserved it, but she would do it anyway. He picked up the next note; she left this one for him after he shut down for two days, not speaking to anyone.

_If we're gonna make this work_  
_You_ _gotta let me inside even though it hurts__  
Don't hide the broken parts that I need to see  
Like it or not, that's the way it's gotta be_

Then there was the note she left him after he kept putting things between them.

_Where did you hide yourself?  
For all these searchlights are growing dim._

Puck buried his head in his hands; the notes only got more heartbreaking from there. The first day he unintentionally ditched her for Quinn, he found this note in his locker.

_Why do I say, "Don't walk away"?_  
_You'll be the way you were before  
When you don't want me anymore  
Don't turn around,  
Don't ever leave,  
A lonely room where empty days  
Are gathering to meet me when you're gone  
How in the world will I go on?_

After he had read that one, Puck ran to the football field and laid down on the fifty-yard line for hours, thinking and yelling and wondering how in the world he could be so stupid. Then, as if she had been there with him, Rachel left him a note on his windshield that he found when he finally headed home around eight that night.

_I just wanna be the hand you hold when you're cryin'  
I just wanna be the voice that tells you it'll be alright and  
When your world is coming down and your hope's nowhere to be found  
Well I'll be here for you  
Come on, come on  
__If you want to make it right, we can make it right_

Then, one day, Rachel had cornered him in the Glee room. Puck had promised to call her the night before, but Quinn needed help moving her stuff from Finn's to Brittany's. Rachel didn't look angry, but she did look hurt and confused.

"Noah? Can we please talk?" she asked resignedly.

"Rach, I'm sorry I forgot to call," Puck started.

"Why are you doing this?" Rachel interrupted abruptly. "I thought when you came over that very first day that we were okay? Why are you pulling away from me?"

"I'm sorry. I just…I can't do this," Puck sighed, running his hands down his face.

Rachel's eyes widened and filled with tears. What was he saying exactly?

"Do what?" Rachel parroted. "Us? Don't you want to be with me?" she panicked.

"Yes!" Puck reiterated. "Of course I do, it's just…" he trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"It's Quinn, isn't it?" Rachel questioned, looking down, fearing the worst from his answer.

"Quinn?" Puck asked incredulously. "Oh God, no! I don't want to be with Quinn!"

"Well, you could've fooled me," Rachel spat out, clearly getting frustrated.

"Rachel," Puck said, holding her slumped shoulders gently, "I swear it's never been about Quinn. It's always been about my kid."

Rachel wanted to believe him; she really did. It was just too much.

"Whatever, Noah. You just can't keep pushing me away. It hurts too much," Rachel murmured. "I understand if you want to be with her; she's the mother of your child."

"Dammit, Rachel!" Puck exclaimed through gritted teeth. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't want to be with her!"

Rachel looked up at Puck with tears in her eyes. "I don't know, maybe until you stop shutting me out," she whispered, cursing her voice for breaking.

She spun around and ran out of the room, leaving Puck standing and staring in her wake. Little did they know that Artie had rolled in on their argument. He made himself known just as Puck had begun to shake himself out of it.

"You really aren't being fair to her, Puck," Artie said, always the prophetic one.

Puck shook his head miserably. "She deserves so much better than me. Someone who's not such a screw-up."

"But she wants _you_," Artie pressed.

"I don't know why," Puck sighed. "I'm nothing but a loser."

"Why don't you let her decide for herself?" Artie advised as he rolled back out the door.

Puck spent the rest of the afternoon considering what Artie said. It wasn't for him to decide what Rachel wanted. Still, it was easier said than done. At the end of the day, Puck found this note from Rachel:

_Somebody turn the lights on, __  
__Somebody tell me what's wrong, __  
__I'd be lying if I told you, __  
__Losing you was something I could handle. __  
__Somebody turn the lights on, __  
__Somebody tell me how long, __  
__All this darkness will surround you, __  
__Cuz I'm burning for you, __  
__Burning like a candle_

Puck looked at the papers scattered on his bed. These notes were the lifelines he had to Rachel, the proof that she hadn't given up on him yet, no matter how much he screwed up. He tucked them neatly away in his bedside drawer, hoping that the answer of how to get over this feeling of self-worthlessness would come to him so he could make things right with Rachel.

* * *

Things eventually came to a head on Tuesday of that fourth week. Rachel had asked Puck on Monday if he wanted to watch a movie sometime that week, but he told her that Quinn wanted to interview more adoptive families. She took the news as well as to be expected, but on Tuesday, she found Puck and Quinn talking by the lockers. Walking with a purpose, she made her way to the two teenagers.

"Here," she said, handing a packet of papers to Quinn.

"What is this?" Quinn asked curiously.

"It's a list of all the parents eligible for open adoption within a three-hour radius of Lima, Ohio," Rachel explained. "I figured since you're making the wise, yet difficult, decision to give your child up for adoption, the least I could do was to help you find a family who would be willing to let you be a part of your child's life in some capacity."

Quinn looked as if she was going to cry tears of joy. Her hands shook as she opened the packet. "So, all these people on this list would let us see her and visit her?"

"Yes, I had to do some searching, but they are all willing for an open adoption," Rachel said, smiling slightly.

After first hearing the words "open adoption," Puck was yet again grateful for Rachel Berry as his girlfriend. He knew he'd been a crappy boyfriend the last few weeks, and he definitely didn't deserve her doing this. But, that was his Rachel, generous and thoughtful to a fault.

Quinn gathered the petite brunette in her arms and cried in the crook of her neck. Rachel patted her back soothingly, and when Quinn looked up, she gave Rachel a watery smile.

"This means a lot to me, Rachel," Quinn said. "Thank you."

And with that, she waddled down the hallway to get to her next class. Puck, on the other hand, grabbed Rachel by the waist and captured her lips with his. He backed her gently up against the lockers and ground his hips into hers. The kiss was filled with passion, lust, and gratefulness. Rachel entwined her arms around his neck as he kissed her deeply like he used to. He laid his forehead against hers after breaking the kiss and he stroked her cheek softly.

"Thank you, Rachel," he said. "I'll make it up to you."

Rachel smiled wistfully as she watched him walk to his next class. Her lips still tingled from the passionate kiss they had shared. Yet, she couldn't help but think in the back of her mind that the only reason he had kissed her like that was because of something she did for _the baby_. One day, she thought, one day he'll kiss me like that again, and it will be because it's _me_.

Coming to that realization, Rachel knew what she had to do. She left him one last note, vowing to herself that she was going to wait for Puck, but she wasn't going to try to fight him pushing her away anymore. She was tired of trying; she wanted Puck to come to her, to talk to her, to want her like he did before.

* * *

Puck found the note before Glee:

_And it hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time  
I want what's yours and I want what's mine  
I want you  
But I'm not giving in this time_

He just sat on the risers with the sheet of paper dangling in his hands when Mercedes came into the room. She regarded him carefully. He looked up to find her staring.

"You okay, white boy?" she asked, even though she very well knew the answer.

Wordlessly, he handed over the note to her. Mercedes read it once, swung her head over to look at Puck, then read the note again.

"Wow," she said quietly.

"Tell me about it," Puck replied. "I thought I was doing the right thing by distancing myself from her. I didn't want her to have to deal with the baby aftermath, but I guess I made things worse."

"Well then, you obviously don't need me to tell you that you've been acting the fool," Mercedes said, grinning slightly and patting him on the shoulder.

Puck smirked at Mercedes. "No, I guess not," he said, shaking his head.

"Seriously though, you and Rachel are perfect for each other. Get this worked out," she pressed. "Besides, you two are giving me and Kurt wrinkles," she added saucily as an afterthought.

Puck laughed at that comment and was about to thank Mercedes for her words of wisdom when they heard anxious voices outside the Glee room.

* * *

Rachel braced herself before heading into the Glee room, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Finn leaving. He was almost around the corner, but her voice stopped him.

"Are you ever coming back to Glee?" she called out.

Finn turned slowly. He walked back to where Rachel stood and shook his head, "I can't be in the same room with him without wanting to punch him, and I can't look at her without wanting to bawl my eyes out."

"Look, Finn, I know what Noah did was so wrong, in some eyes unforgivable probably, but people screw up. Big time. It doesn't change the fact that you guys have been best friends for years," Rachel pleaded. "He feels awful, Finn. Give him a chance to apologize. To make things right."

Finn scoffed and began to turn away, but Rachel's hand on his arm held him in place. "Noah being the biological father doesn't have to change anything. You and Quinn can make up and if she decides to keep it, you can help her raise the baby. If she decides to give it up for open adoption, I'm sure she'd want you to visit the baby with her."

"It doesn't work that way, Rachel," Finn snapped. "I can't just forgive either of them that easily. I'm not _you_," he spat out like the words disgusted him.

Indignation shot through Rachel's eyes. "What is that supposed to mean, Finn?"

"Oh, so you're telling me that you didn't forgive him just like that?" Finn taunted.

Rachel sighed. "We're working on it. While I admit the situation is less than desirable, I care for Noah. And when you care for someone, you stick with them," she stood her ground. "Noah is a good person, Finn. We all make mistakes."

"Yeah, well just keep an eye open; I know Puck; he's definitely _not _a good guy," Finn sneered.

Just then Rachel's palm connected to Finn's cheek with a resounding _crack!_ The fire was back in her eyes, and it was almost as if Finn's words made her realize why she was fighting for Noah in the first place.

"You listen to me, Finn Hudson," she said, jabbing a finger into Finn's chest as he dumbly rubbed his stinging cheek. "I know the real Noah Puckerman. Not the cocky jerk who hung around you and the other football players. The real one. The sweet one who helps his mom and sister. The smart one who skips math but does his homework anyway. The generous one who offered to help Quinn anyway he could, only to be shut out because she thought _you_ would make a better father. The compassionate one who, while he made a stupid mistake, kept it from you not to lie, but to keep from hurting his best friend. I know the real Noah Puckerman, and he's hurting just as much as you are. He's your best friend. So, suck it up, and talk to him. But never, _never_ say that you _know_ Noah Puckerman. Because you obviously don't."

Not sparing a backwards glance, Rachel huffed away to the Glee room where she was met with the surprised looks of Mercedes and Puck. Mercedes' smile was kind and understanding, and Puck's look was between chagrin and grateful. Willing the tears to stay away from her eyes, she simply nodded, sat down in her normal seat, and waited for Mr. Schue and the others to arrive. Puck slid into the seat next to hers, but refrained from touching her, just in case.

"Okay, guys," Mr. Schuester said, entering the room wearily. "I know these last weeks have been hard on us, but Glee is a family."

Just as he said this, Finn slipped in the room quietly. No one made a fuss, but it was clear that everyone, even Puck and Quinn, was glad to see him.

Mr. Schuester nodded to Finn and continued his speech, "As I was saying, we need to work through these problems. Now, we're going to do something a little differently today." Glancing at Rachel and smiling, he said, "A little birdie once told me that music heals the soul. So that's what we're going to do. We're going to try to mend our souls a little. I'm going to give anyone who wants to a chance to sing a song up here in front," he finished. When it was clear no one was moving, Mr. Schue pressed on, "It's cathartic, guys. I want this song you sing to be a symbol of your emotions."

Rachel knew what song she wanted to sing. She had told Noah that she wasn't giving in, but her confrontation with Finn changed her mind. She had had this particular song in her head for days; so much so, that she had printed the sheet music and practiced it for her newest Myspace video. Now was the perfect time to tell Noah all she had been feeling. She had to make him see that she was sticking around whether he was going to let her in or not. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her music from her folder and handed it over to Brad. She watched Noah watch her as she made her way to the front, wondering what he was thinking.

Puck had a song he wanted to play for Rachel. He was tired of pushing her away, and he was ready to talk. Hearing her defend his character to Finn gave Puck a stronger resolve to make things right with Rachel. Just then, she stood up and moved purposefully toward the front of the room. She caught his eye, and he hoped the song she was going to sing wasn't a break-up song.

Rachel took a deep breath and began singing.

_Been here before, revolving door  
Got up and I don't know what for, anymore  
We had the best  
And nothing less  
But the second we fell out of step  
You up and left_

She shut her eyes in frustration. She let go of all her emotions as she sang to Noah.

_Well this is so you  
This is what you do  
You'd rather make do than make a move  
What'll it take now?  
How do I make this matter enough to you?_

_Say you're a mess  
Say it's a shame  
Why can't you at least pretend?  
Say I should leave; you're over me  
Say something, Say anything  
Anything,  
Say anything, please_

By this time, she'd opened her eyes and stood there silently pleading with Noah.

_What happened to the plans we made?  
And that contagious smile upon your face?  
It's all begun to fade  
You used to be so careful with me  
Making sure that we would always be  
Each other's missing piece_

_Well, we could still save these tattered pages  
What do you say we start again?  
This is our chance and you're all I have  
Don't let me slip through your hands_

_Say you're a mess  
Say it's a shame  
Why can't you at least pretend?  
Say I should leave; you're over me  
Say something, Say anything  
Anything  
Say anything, please_

_You know I miss you  
You know I wish you'd miss me too_

Puck missed her more than anything. He wished in his heart that he hadn't been so stupid in the first place, but he knew that if she'd give him a chance to talk, they could work it out.

_Baby, tell me you do  
Whoa oh oh_

_Say you're a mess  
Say it's a shame  
Why can't you at least pretend?  
Say I should leave; you're over me  
Say something, Say anything  
Anything  
Say anything, please_

Rachel stood stock-still, breathing heavily with emotion. She had not once taken her eyes off Puck, but for the life of her, she could not decipher the look on his face. She wanted him to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her. She wanted to move to him, but she made herself wait. He was going to have to come to her. Instead, he walked out the door.

Rachel felt the wind knocked from her chest. She couldn't believe he had just left, simply walked out the door. Tina and Santana were the two closest to where she stood, so they both hugged her and consoled her as she cried.

Mr. Schuester made his way to the front of the room and uncomfortably asked if anyone else wanted to sing. Just then, the door swung open revealing Puck.

"Sorry. I, uh, had to get my guitar," he mumbled, motioning to the case he was carrying. "Can I sing next?"

Rachel watched Puck as he sat on a stool and began to strum his guitar. He looked up at her and gave her a pleading look of his own. As she wiped the tears from her eyes, he spoke, "This song is dedicated to the two most important girls in my life, Rachel and my daughter." Rachel's breath caught in her throat, but she couldn't help but smile.

He gave her a half-smile and began to sing.

_Today's not the same  
As every day  
It's far from ordinary  
The pain I endure  
You're my cure  
But my mistakes have led me  
Far away from you_

_You turn away  
from all those things  
that I've been trying to say  
and all those promises  
I shouldn't have made  
I did it for you_

_Mile by mile  
Feelings I just can't reconcile  
My heart's on a string  
These broken wings  
Who knew I'd be so fragile  
Far away from you _

Puck looked straight into Rachel with his heart in his eyes. That's the Noah I fell for, she thought.

_You turn away  
From all those things  
That I've been trying to say  
And all those promises  
I shouldn't have made  
I did it for you_

_I searched my soul  
And all these feelings  
That I can't control  
And you're the one thing  
That can make me whole  
I did it for you_

_Try to let you know  
Try to let you know  
Try to let you know_

_Today is not the same  
As every day  
It's far from ordinary_

_You turn away  
From all those things  
That I've been trying to say  
And all those promises  
I shouldn't have made  
I did it for you_

_Oh, I searched my soul  
And all these feelings  
That I can't control  
And you're the one thing  
That can make me whole  
I did it for you_

_I did it for you  
I did it for you  
You're the one thing that can make me whole  
I did it for you _

Rachel waited all of two seconds to spring from her seat and launch herself into Puck's arms. Mr. Schuester called a quick break so that they could talk.

"I am so sorry, Rachel," he whispered in her ear as she hugged him tightly. "So, so sorry."

"Oh, Noah," she sighed. "I'm just glad you still want me."

"I do, more than anything," Noah smiled into her eyes. "I'm such a jerk for pushing you away."

"I understand why you did it. It hurt me so much to watch you in pain, Noah. You wouldn't let me in, and that made me feel so helpless," she admitted, her hand gently caressing the hair on the nape of his neck.

"I just felt like I didn't deserve your forgiveness, then I heard what you said to Finn. It made me realize that I should've been fighting to keep you," Noah shrugged. "It was stupid, and I'm sorry. I'm done pulling away from you. Forgive me?"

Rachel smiled as though he'd given her the world. "You don't even have to ask. I missed you," she said before she tiptoed to press her lips to his.

He looped his arms around her waist and tugged her gently to him. They only broke away once they heard Kurt sighing, "Finally!" Pulling away, both blushed and returned to their seats, realizing as they did, Finn and Matt had disappeared. Quinn suddenly raised her hand.

"May I sing something, Mr. Schuester?" she asked.

Mr. Schue nodded and Mike and Mercedes helped eight-month pregnant body off the risers and onto a stool. Quinn's breath quivered as she told Brad what song she wanted. Finn and Matt came back into the room. Finn looked uncomfortable, but Matt firmly guided him back to their seats. Quinn smiled gratefully at Matt, who simply nodded. Rachel smiled at the exchange; she knew Quinn had never stopped loving Finn, and she was working on the courage to talk to him. Maybe this song would help them along.

Quinn's voice was unsteady as she began but soon gathered strength.

_Let's go back  
Back to the beginning  
Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned_

_'Cause perfect  
Didn't feel so perfect  
Trying to fit a square into a circle was my life  
I defy_

_Let the rain fall down  
And wake my dreams  
Let it wash away  
My sanity  
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
I wanna scream  
Let the rain fall down  
I'm coming clean  
I'm coming clean  
_  
_I'm shedding  
Shedding every color  
Trying to find a pigment of truth  
Beneath my skin_  
_Ohhh_

_'Cause different  
Doesn't feel so different  
And going out is better than always staying in  
Feel the wind_

_Let the rain fall down  
And wake my dreams  
Let it wash away  
My sanity  
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
I wanna scream  
Let the rain fall down  
I'm coming clean  
I'm coming clean_

_I'm coming clean  
Let the rain fall  
Let the rain fall  
I'm coming _

_Let the rain fall down  
And wake my dreams  
Let it wash away  
My sanity  
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
I wanna scream  
Let the rain fall down  
I'm coming clean  
I'm coming clean_  
_  
Oh I'm coming clean  
Let the rain fall  
Let the rain fall  
Let the rain fall  
I'm coming clean  
_  
_Let's go back  
Back to the beginning _

The room was in awe as Quinn finished singing. Rachel had never heard her sing so beautifully or with more conviction. She was the first one to gather Quinn in her arms.

"That was beautiful, Quinn," Rachel said. She watched as Quinn smiled weakly but darted her eyes toward Finn. "He'll come around," Rachel whispered for her ears only.

"Thanks, Rachel," Quinn said quietly, but winced as a pain in her side hit her sharply.

Noticing the gasp, Rachel placed her hand on Quinn's stomach. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's probably those darn Braxton Hicks contractions," she said, scrunching her face as another pain hit.

Everyone, except for Finn, gathered around her and hugged Quinn, carefully leading her to her seat. Soon, everyone was talking about one thing or another. Rachel and Puck whispered quietly with each other, sharing smiles and kissing and making up for lost time.

"Thank you to everyone who sang," Mr. Schuester smiled, interrupting the different conversations. "I'm glad we did this little exercise. We're definitely on our way back. Now, next week, I want-" but he was cut off by Brittany's squeaky gasp.

"Um, guys? Help!" she cried, as everyone turned to her to find Quinn had fainted and was slumped against Brittany, who struggled to keep her friend upright.

Puck panicked as Rachel rushed over to find a pulse on Quinn's neck. She tried not to freak out when she noticed a slight stain of blood on Quinn's pale pink dress.

"Somebody call 9-1-1 NOW!"

* * *

**AN2: Please don't hate me. ****Even if you've never reviewed before or never plan to again (although I hope that's never the case! lol), please drop me a line letting me know what you think of this chapter. It would really mean a lot to me to know if you liked it, hated it, or felt any other emotion while reading. Please. Thank you. **

**(Even if you do hate me, a review given is worth more than stewing in silence :) Thank you.)  
**

**Notes: "Walking After You" (Foo Fighters), "Whatever It Takes" (Lifehouse), "Searchlights" (David Cook), "Don't Walk Away" (Electric Light Orchestra), "Come On" (Green River Ordinance), "Candle (Sick and Tired)" (White Tie Affair), "Goodbye to You" (Michelle Branch)**

**Songs: "Say Anything" (Kate Voegele), "I Did It for You" (David Cook), "Come Clean" (Hilary Duff)**

**

* * *

**

**_*To all my readers: Please read this important note*_**

_I am promoting something I just signed up to do, and it would be amazing if any of you could help out with this cause. A reader of mine and of a lover of Glee FF, truelovepooh (aka Pooh or Stacie), is battling ovarian AND breast cancer without medical insurance. The group "Support Stacie" is a way for them to help raise money for her medical bills. I was asked to be a part of the Author Auction taking place on March 26-29th._

_How it works: On those days, any member of the forum (anyone can join at www . supportstacie . com) bids on an author and at the end of the auction, the winning bidder sends in their money and gets a one-shot written by me, especially for them._

_My actual auction offer can be found here: http://www . supportstacie . com / phpBB3 / viewtopic . php?f=25&t=2068 (sorry for the spaces!)_

_Some other favorite Glee authors on this site are taking part in the auction as well. I know of Going Vintage, SapphireEJ, and diva . divine off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are others._

_All Glee auctions can be found here: http://www . supportstacie . com / phpBB3 / viewforum . php?f=25&sid= (again, sorry for the spaces!)_

_If you would like me, or any of the authors I mentioned, to write a fic for you and you're willing to bid on us, I hope you will take a look at the forum and consider taking part in this auction. If you don't want to take part, that's absolutely understandable, but I'm sure Stacie would appreciate your thoughts and prayers!!  
_

_Together we can kick some cancer butt!_

_Thank you!_


	22. Keep Breathing

**AN: Because I love my readers and couldn't let you wait too long. ;o) Please return the favor and R&R! lol Thanks, lovely readers! :o) Enjoy! P.s. I'm almost to 400 reviews! Let's get there and beyond! Please and thank you! :)  
**

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* * *

Chapter 22: **__**Keep Breathing**_

"We've got a seventeen-year-old pregnant female!" yelled the EMT wheeling Quinn into the emergency room of St. Rita's Medical Center. "BP is 175/110, but pulse is dropping; she's in and out of consciousness! She's going into labor!"

Puck, Rachel, Mr. Schuester, and Finn rushed frantically in behind the gurney. Puck had a death grip on Rachel's hand and Mr. Schuester looked like he was going to be sick. As soon as the trauma doctors on hand reached Quinn's gurney, they looked at the four expectantly, unsure of who was with the young girl.

"I'm the baby's father," Puck volunteered quickly.

The doctor nodded, but Finn broke in, "I'm her boyfriend!"

"Oh, so _now_ you want to care about Quinn? After not speaking to her for a month!?" Puck yelled. "Hell no! My baby's life is at risk! You're not going back there!"

"Oh yes I am!" Finn shouted, shoving Puck out of the way.

"Boys!" Rachel shrieked. "You're acting like five-year-olds and putting Quinn under unnecessary stress!" Mr. Schuester grabbed hold of Finn's arms as Rachel took hold of Puck.

A doctor pushed them both out the way as he administered more oxygen to Quinn. "Look, guys, either you make a decision or neither of you goes back! She doesn't have that kind of time!"

Suddenly, Quinn weakly reached out her arm to Mr. Schuester. The boys and the doctor stopped their movements. Carefully, Quinn lifted off the oxygen mask and whispered, "Please come with me, Mr. Schue…" before slipping her eyes closed again.

"Mr. Schuester, you go with Quinn," Rachel commanded. "I'll handle these imbeciles."

Mr. Schuester nodded and grabbed Quinn's hand as they proceeded to wheel her through the swinging doors of the ER.

Puck tried to run after them, but another trauma nurse gently pushed him back. "She's going to be fine," she whispered gently. "Please go sit down, and we'll come out as soon as we can."

"I can't believe this!" he shouted. "That's my kid!"

"Noah," Rachel said soothingly, "Come sit down. There's nothing we can do right now." She tried to calm him, but all he could do was pace the floor.

Just then, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Santana, and Mike rushed through the doors. Their eyes quickly scanned the room and found Puck stalking back and forth with his hands pulling at his Mohawk, Rachel sitting in a chair bouncing her legs nervously, and Finn pleading with the receptionist to let him back in the room.

"We got here as fast as I could drive!" Kurt gasped for air from running in.

"How is she?" Santana asked.

"The boys fought over who would go back so neither of them can go," Rachel said quietly. "Mr. Schuester is with her. She was conscious by the time we got here," she explained.

Puck hustled over to where Finn was standing and whirled him around by the shirt collar. "This is your fault!" he screamed at Finn. "If you hadn't been such a jerk, I could've gone back there!"

"Well, I'm sorry!" Finn sneered sarcastically. "You may be her baby daddy, but I was the father first!" Finn shouted.

The others gasped at his words, and suddenly, the rest of the Glee kids, Miss Pillsbury, and Mr. Abrams rushed through the doors. Matt and Brittany had offered to wait until Artie's dad picked him up so he could come.

"Finn, man," Mike said, "We understand. We all want her to be okay."

"No, you don't understand, Mike!" he yelled hoarsely.

"Finn, please stop yelling. We are not the only people in this hospital," Miss Pillsbury reminded carefully.

"You guys just don't understand," Finn whined helplessly.

"What don't I understand, Finn?" Puck cried pleadingly, yet still seething with anger. "That is my baby girl in there! I care about Quinn too, but that is my _child_!"

"You don't care about anyone but yourself, Puck. You never have," Finn spat out with deathly calm. "I knew I shouldn't have come. I'm done!"

With those words, he took one last glare at the people around him and began to walk out the door. As Rachel wrapped her arms lovingly around Puck, her eyes shifted to Artie and Finn. "Stop him," she pleaded quietly. "He needs to stay too. Quinn needs him."

They quickly ran (and rolled) after the gangly teen. Rachel lifted her eyes to look at the distraught face of her boyfriend. "Noah," she tried.

"Yeah?" he whispered, looking at her with glassy, tormented eyes.

"We're going to be okay. I know it," she whispered, gently removing her arms from his waist to cup his cheeks with her hands.

His eyes slid shut as she placed her warm hands on his face. He moved his hands to cover hers, grabbing them to intertwine their fingers. Then, he brought each of her hands to his mouth and kissed her fingers.

"Thank you for being here for me, Rachel," he murmured.

She smiled gently, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead, but seeing Artie and Kurt rush back in distracted him mid-kiss. They simply stood in the doorway and shook their heads morosely. It was clear that Finn was not coming back. The other teens hung their heads, upset that their friend was once again giving up on them all.

Miss Pillsbury suggested they all sit down since it looked like they could be there awhile. Always the adult, she asked, "Have you all told your parents where you are?"

Everyone but Puck nodded. "I called my fathers from the car. Daddy is on his way," Rachel explained. "Noah, you should call your mom. She'll want to be here," Rachel pressed.

"Yeah," he said absently. "You're right." But yet, he made no movement to call her. He just sat staring at his hands.

"Okaaay," Rachel said. "I will just call her. Is that all right?" she asked gently.

Puck looked up at her with grateful eyes. "Yes. Thanks, Rach. I'm sorry, I just–"

"Don't apologize," Rachel interrupted. "That's what I'm here for." She smiled at him, kissed him gently on the cheek, and got up to make the call from her cell.

The rest of the Gleeks sat around feeling useless and unsure what to do. They wanted to comfort Puck, but they didn't know what to say. Miss Pillsbury and Mr. Abrams talked quietly in one corner, while the teens huddled in another. Brittany and Santana kept crying off and on, worried for their best friend, while Matt and Mike comforted them respectively. Kurt, Mercedes, and Tina tried to discuss Regionals' costumes to keep their mind off the situation at hand, but it was clear no one was in the mood to talk "business." Artie rolled over to sit next to Puck.

"She's going to be okay, Puck. They both will," he said solemnly. Artie always had a way of saying things in such a matter-of-fact way that you couldn't help but believe every word.

"I hope so, man," Puck said, picking at the calluses on his hands.

Artie rolled closer. "My sister was born premature too. She was fine," he explained, trying to help.

"Yeah, okay," Puck said, though not really hearing what Artie was saying. His mind was just a little preoccupied at the moment.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say," Artie tried again, understanding that Puck wasn't being intentionally rude.

"Yeah," Puck said absently. As Artie began to roll away, Puck's hand shot out and stilled Artie. He looked up at the wheel-chaired teen. "Hey. Thank you. For a lot of things," Puck said honestly.

"No problem," Artie nodded with a slight smile. He reached over and patted the arm that was holding his chair in place. "Remember what I said: we're here for you."

Just then, Rachel walked back up carrying two cups of coffee. "Sorry I didn't have enough hands to bring you all some," she shrugged, handing one of the cups to Puck.

"No, it's all right," Tina said. "Maybe we should go down to the cafeteria and grab some. Looks like we're all gonna need it."

"You guys don't have to stay," Puck offered. It wasn't that he didn't want them there (because he did); he just didn't want them to be stuck worried when there was nothing anyone could do.

"Are you crazy or something, white boy?" Mercedes questioned. "Of course we're staying!"

"She's right, Puck," Matt said. "We're a family. We are staying with you."

Rachel smiled graciously at her friends. She never thought in a million years they would be at this point, yet here they were. Once they had been separate entities forced together under the Glee club umbrella, but now they were a family, working together and caring about each other. She never ceased to be amazed at how life had changed.

"Thanks, guys," Puck acknowledged. "This means a lot."

The teens left to grab coffee and something to eat from the cafeteria, so all that remained in the waiting room were Puck, Rachel, the adults, and other random individuals waiting to hear news of their own family members. At that moment, Ethan Berry and Hannah Puckerman came through the doors looking for their children.

"Oh, honey," Hannah cried, sweeping Puck into a tight hug.

"I'm so worried, Mom," Puck whispered into the crook of her neck, hugging her as his life depended on it.

"What happened?" Ethan asked, hugging Rachel gently.

She explained everything from Quinn's collapse in the Glee room to the second the two parents walked in the door.

"I'll go see if I can find anything out," Ethan offered, heading to the nurses' station.

"Have you eaten anything, baby?" Hannah asked softly. Puck shook his head, and when Hannah glanced at Rachel to silently ask her the same, Rachel shook her head as well. "Well, you both need to keep your strength up. I'm going to get some sandwiches," she took charge. "Is turkey okay for you both?"

"Yes ma'am, that sounds lovely. Thank you, Hannah," Rachel spoke for the both of them.

When she was gone, Rachel leaned her arm across Puck's shoulder and pressed a kiss to his temple. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay, babe," he smiled weakly. "I don't know what I would do without you here, though."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that," Rachel grinned. "You're stuck with me for a long time."

That elicited a slight chuckle from Puck, and Rachel felt her heart soar at the sound. That's when she knew it. He was going to be okay. The baby and Quinn were going to be okay. _They_ were going to be okay.

The hours ticked by slowly. However, the room was still thick with tensions and worry. Rachel sat next to Puck nervously as she decided to diffuse the situation the only way she knew how: by singing. Quietly, as if for Puck's ears only, she began to sing.

_All that I know is I'm breathing. _

Puck looked over at her with a slight smile as she continued, slightly louder.

_All I can do is keep breathing. _

She grabbed Puck's large hand in the both of hers.

_All we can do is keep breathing now.  
Now-ow-ow  
Now-w-w-w_

She glanced over to the other Gleeks who were watching her sing softly. Slowly, they all moved over to where Puck and Rachel were sitting. They clustered together, each grabbing the hand of the person next to them.

_All we can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is keep breathing _

She quietly sang this line over and over, willing it to be true. Then, as if they had rehearsed it, Mercedes, Tina, Santana, and Brittany, began singing "ahhhs" while Rachel continued pouring her heart into that one line. No one cared that others in the waiting room were watching them curiously. In fact, most of those watching were just as enthralled by this young girl's voice as they were by the words she was singing.

_All we can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is keep breathing _

Miss Pillsbury and the other adults watched with unshed tears in their eyes at the scene before them. The teens had pulled Rachel and Puck from their seats and were now gathered around them, hugging them and humming as Rachel sang that line one last time.

_All we can do is keep breathing now._

Those at the nurses' station and the reception area had stopped to watch the beautiful scene unfold. Two older women were openly crying as were all the girls of New Directions. It was in that moment that Mr. Schuester trudged wearily through the swinging doors. Puck instinctively gripped Rachel's hand tighter as they all turned to their fearless leader for the news. The other adults herded to where the teens were standing so they could hear the news as well.

A tired smile stretched across the young teacher's face. "Congratulations, Puck. You have a beautiful daughter."

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief; Puck gathered Rachel in his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"How's Quinnie?" Brittany asked worriedly.

"She's tired, but she's okay," Mr. Schuester assured them. "The doctor said her blood pressure spiked from all of the emotional trauma and high stress levels she'd been under the last couple of weeks. Combined with the fact that she's slightly anemic, it caused her to faint and go into premature labor."

"But she's going to be fine?" Kurt clarified.

"After a few weeks of rest, she'll be good as new," Mr. Schuester smiled. Glancing around, he noticed one person missing. "Where's Finn?"

The Gleeks all looked down sullenly.

"He left, Mr. Schue," Artie spoke up.

"Oh," Mr. Schuester replied, obviously disappointed.

"Can we see the baby?" Puck asked impatiently.

"Yes, Quinn asked for you to come in first," Mr. Schuester answered. "She said she wants to see everyone, but only a few at a time," he explained.

The others nodded, knowing that the young mother had been through a lot, and she needed to rest and not be bombarded with people.

"Rachel," Mr. Schue added, "Quinn said you'd probably want to come with Puck."

Puck smiled gratefully, knowing he would have forced Rachel to come with him anyway.

"Oh!" Rachel said, clearly surprised. "All right then. Let's go see your baby girl, Noah," she beamed.

Hand in hand, they walked into Quinn's room where the blonde was gently holding a tiny pink bundle. She noticed the two as they entered, and she smiled widely.

"Come see," she whispered.

Noah didn't have to be asked twice. He quickly made his way to Quinn's bedside and peered over her shoulder at the beautiful baby girl she was holding.

"She's beautiful," he whispered in awe.

"She looks like you," Quinn pointed out, placing the baby carefully in Puck's waiting arms.

"Well, what can I say? I'm a stud," he joked, winking at Rachel. "Baby, come here," he whispered. "You gotta see her."

Rachel carefully walked to the other side of Puck. The baby had Quinn's nose, but every other facial feature was Noah's. She had a tuft of fuzzy, brown hair and tiny, perfect fingers that grasped at Rachel's finger. Rachel gasped in wonder at sweet contact.

"She's so tiny," she cooed. "Look at her! She's holding my finger!"

Quinn giggled at her baby girl. "She's five pounds, two ounces," she announced proudly. "The doctor says she's very healthy. She's got a strong set of lungs."

"She's going to be a singer; I just know it," Rachel proclaimed.

"Rock on," Puck chuckled.

A nurse named Lucy bustled into the room and announced they needed to check the baby's vitals again, so Puck reluctantly handed his girl over to the nurse. She smiled knowingly. "We'll be right back," Lucy said.

While they waited for the baby to come back, Quinn shifted over in the bed so Rachel could sit with her and braid her hair. Puck pulled a chair close to the bed and absently traced circles on Rachel's leg.

"Hey, Quinn," Puck whispered.

"Yeah?" she answered, eyes closed in relaxation from Rachel running her fingers through her hair.

"What are we going to do about her?" he questioned, pained by having to ask.

"I don't know," she whimpered, leaning on Rachel who wrapped her arm around the blonde. "We didn't get to meet with any of the parents on Rachel's list."

"You can still meet with parents in the hospital," Rachel chimed in. "Dad said that happens all the time. Or many times, the adoption agency has homes that provide short term foster care for the babies while parents are making decisions," she explained.

Puck nodded in thought. "I don't want her to go to a foster home."

"Me neither," Quinn agreed. "What do you think, Rachel?"

Rachel blinked in surprise. She had only done research for Puck and Quinn; she didn't expect them to want her opinion on the matter.

"I think if you're up to it, you should narrow the list I gave you down to maybe three families. Then, you can call them and meet with each family separately," she offered.

Quinn smiled at the brunette. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Rachel. Thank you."

"Yeah, babe, thanks," Puck said softly as he leaned up to peck Rachel on the lips.

"The doctor says I have to stay under observation for a few more days to make sure my blood pressure stays down," Quinn reminded them.

Just then, Lucy came back with the pink bundle of joy. Puck immediately claimed her which caused the three women in the room to laugh.

"I was sent to tell you that you have a herd of people anxiously waiting to see you," Lucy smiled.

"Send them in a few at a time, if that's okay?" Quinn asked.

"Of course," Lucy replied before turning to leave.

"I wish we could name her," Puck said absently.

Rachel sympathetically patted Puck's back. "I know," she whispered.

"I think she looks like a Kaitlyn," Quinn piped up.

"Yeah," Puck smirked. "Kaitlyn," he said, trying the name out loud. He carefully snuggled his nose to the tiny girl. "No matter what your parents name you, you'll always be Kaitlyn to me."

Rachel glanced at Quinn who watched the interaction with a contented smile. A tap on the door alerted the three of those waiting outside. It opened slightly so Santana could peek her head in.

"Can we come in?" she asked.

"Of course!" Quinn said cheerfully as Santana and Brittany bounced in the room, eager to hug their friend.

After fussing over Quinn for a time, the Cheerios turned their attention to the sleeping girl in Puck's arms.

"Oh my gosh…" Santana breathed.

"She's really pretty," Brittany marveled.

The girls oohed and aahed over the baby until she started to get fussy. Puck handed her back to Quinn. "Guess she's hungry or something," he shrugged.

Quinn rolled her eyes as Lucy helped her position the feeding blanket over her body. Santana and Brittany chatted cheerfully with Quinn and Rachel as Puck shuffled around awkwardly.

"Um, I'm going to, uh, go talk to the rest of the guys," Puck stammered.

Rachel laughed gently and kissed her uncomfortable boyfriend and shooed him out the door.

Quinn suddenly spoke up, "Is Finn here?" Her eyes searched the three girls who became eerily quiet.

"No," Brittany shook her head sadly.

"He left right after they took you back," Santana explained gently.

"I see," Quinn whispered, laying her head back on the pillow as a tear leaked through her shut eyes.

The hearts of the other three girls hurt for their broken friend.

"I think she's done," Quinn said wearily.

Lucy swooped in and took the baby from her. "Why don't I take her to the nursery for awhile so you can rest?"

Quinn nodded silently, as tears continued to trace down her cheeks. "Thanks, Lucy."

"Anytime, dear," Lucy said. "I'll tell your friends they can see her from the nursery window. Do you want to see anyone else?"

"Yes, the rest of them can come in if they want," Quinn mumbled.

"All right," Lucy replied before leaving the room once again.

"We'll go get the others," Brittany offered, grabbing Santana's hand.

Puck came back in as they left, immediately worried after seeing Quinn's tears. His eyes shot to Rachel who mouthed _Finn_. Nodding, he made his way to the lone chair, gently pulling Rachel onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her. She laid her head on his shoulder and played with the hair on the nape of his neck. She pressed a loving kiss to the place where his neck and shoulder met, then nuzzled her face into that same crook.

Just then, the rest of the gang shuffled in quietly. Matt and Mike waved to Quinn before moving out of the way in the corner of the room. Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt all hugged the young mother before making room for Hannah to gather the girl in her arms. She knew Quinn from all the times she and Finn had come over to the house, and now, even if they didn't keep the baby, she'd always be a part of Hannah's family. Mr. Schuester and Ethan smiled from their spots at the door, as did Miss Pillsbury who was trying her best not to touch anything.

"We saw her," Kurt declared smugly. "She's absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you, Kurt," Quinn smiled.

"What are you going to do?" Mercedes asked carefully.

Quinn allowed Rachel to explain the plan they had worked on earlier: after Quinn rested a little, she and Puck would sit down and decide on three potential open adoption families. Then, they'd interview them and hopefully they'd find the perfect home for baby Kaitlyn. Everyone nodded and agreed that was a perfect idea. They all talked and laughed until Quinn looked ready to drop. Rachel took charge and bustled the crowd out of the room so Quinn could rest. Lucy brought Kaitlyn in one last time to eat. Then, she took her back to the nursery so Quinn could take a nap.

"Go ahead and look at some families," she said before drifting off. "I trust your judgment," she explained seeing both Puck and Rachel's hesitations. "The sooner we choose, the better I'll feel about giving Kaitlyn away," she whispered, choking on a slight sob.

Puck and Rachel agreed and left their friend to sleep.

* * *

Over the next few days, Puck and Quinn interviewed three families—one from Columbus, one from Dayton, and one from Cincinnati. Each family was sweet, loving, and obviously desperate for a child. Finally, they decided on Brian and Lacie Anderson from Dayton. They were both in their early thirties and had known before they got married they'd never be able to have children.

"I was diagnosed with testicular cancer when I was twenty-three," Brian explained. "At the time, I had planned on never getting married so I didn't take precautions to preserve any of my sperm. I didn't care," he shrugged. "Until I met Lacie three years after I went into remission."

"I told him it was fine," Lacie said, looking at her husband with obvious love in her eyes. "We could just adopt. A child doesn't need to have your blood for you to love it with your whole heart. But, honestly, you have no idea what this would mean to us."

Puck and Quinn agreed that these parents were the best fit for their baby. Brian and Lacie were in love, financially stable, and it didn't hurt that they were the closest to Lima. And Lacie insisted on an open adoption, which put Quinn and Puck at ease.

"Well, my girlfriend's father is a lawyer, so we can have the papers drawn up tomorrow," Puck said, shaking Brian's hand.

"That sounds perfect," Brian affirmed. "Call us then."

* * *

The next day, Puck sat in one of the maternity wing's meeting rooms with Quinn, Rachel, Ethan who would serve as their legal aid and facilitator, and the Andersons. Everything was taken care of in a quick, efficient manner, and soon enough, Brian and Lacie were meeting their daughter.

"Come here, Kaitlyn," Puck cooed as he lifted his daughter from the bassinet. He heard Quinn gasp quietly from his side. It was then what he realized he had said Kaitlyn out loud.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Puck stammered as he placed the baby in Lacie's arms. "I just…"

"No, it's okay," Lacie smiled. "She is beautiful, and she does look like a Kaitlyn."

Quinn and Brian shared a quick smile before he peeked over his wife's shoulder. He whispered something in her ear; she smiled up at him and nodded.

"Everyone," Brian announced as he plucked the baby from Lacie's arms, "meet Kaitlyn Quinn Anderson."

Quinn's hand flew to her mouth as let out another surprised gasp, and tears immediately welled in her eyes. "K-k-kaitlyn Qu-quinn?"

"Of course," Lacie replied, hugging Quinn. "If that's okay with you," she amended.

"Oh! Yes, that's fine," Quinn rushed to say. "It would be an honor."

Quinn stepped back to where Puck and Rachel were standing. She grabbed Rachel's hand for support which the brunette squeezed tightly. Puck wrapped one arm around Rachel's waist and placed his other hand on Quinn's shoulder.

"Well, Kaitlyn Quinn Anderson, it's very nice to meet you," Rachel said sweetly.

Rachel made sure to get pictures of her with both Quinn and Puck and one of all three of them; Quinn insisted on having one taken with Kaitlyn and Rachel too. There were tears in everyone's eyes as they passed Kaitlyn around one more time before Brian packed up their car with all the things the Gleeks brought by yesterday for the baby. Puck was the last to cuddle with her. He kissed Kaitlyn carefully and handed her gently back to Lacie. They all hugged Brian and Lacie who promised to call as soon as they got home as well as send e-mail updates and pictures.

Then, all too soon, Brian, Lacie, and Kaitlyn Anderson drove away to their home in Dayton. Quinn cried on Rachel's shoulder as she tried to whisper soothing things in the blonde's ear. She grabbed Puck's hand and from her place by his side, she heard him whisper quietly, "Goodbye, Kaitlyn. I love you."

* * *

**AN2: Song: "Keep Breathing" (Ingrid Michaelson)**

**AN3: This has been an emotional last couple of chapters. The angst muffins haven't been completely consumed yet, but we are on our way to happier times. I promise :o) p.s. I hope I did okay with the adoption process; I researched it but also took a few liberties. lol  
**

**AN4: The Support Stacie Auction is still taking place until Monday, March 29th! Go to http://www . supportstacie . com / phpBB3 / viewtopic . php?f=25&t=2068 to bid. No one has bid on me yet, but that's okay...I just hope we can raise Stacie a lot of money! But if you want to bid, I'm not going to stop you! ;o) lol Please keep Stacie in your thoughts and prayers! Thank you so much! **

**Please remember, R&R = Love!**


	23. Regaining Normalcy

**AN: Ohmyglee, I am SO sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out! Real life has been a bear these last several days! And I'm trying to get ready for my LA trip (I leave Friday! yay! I fully intend on attempting to celebrity stalk Mark Salling! yay! lol j/k mostly And I'll be back on the night of the Glee return! I've already told my mom that it didn't matter that my plane wasn't coming in until 10:55 pm Georgia time and that I'd have major jet lag; we were still staying up to watch Glee! lol) Anyway, I really hope you guys like this chapter! Please R&R! :o)**

_**

* * *

Chapter 23: Regaining Normalcy**_

The Saturday after Kaitlyn went home with the Andersons, Puck disappeared. He had been doing so well not shutting Rachel out that it was disconcerting for her to find that she couldn't reach him. He wasn't answering his phone nor was he at his house. Hannah thought he'd gone to Rachel's house so when Rachel showed up looking for him, she became worried for her son. Rachel assured her that he was fine, and she was going to find him.

"Please don't worry, Hannah. Noah has been through a rough ordeal; he deserves some time alone," she said softly.

So off she went in search of Puck. She thought about letting him be, but she couldn't help but be as worried as Hannah was. She drove to McKinley, but he wasn't on the football field. She found the school unlocked, but he wasn't in the Glee room or the auditorium or the gym. She should have known he wasn't there when she didn't see his truck, but she searched just in case. She drove past all the 7-Elevens wondering if he was going to try to get someone to buy him beer. He wasn't there. About to give up and frustrated that he still wasn't answering his phone, Rachel was pulling up to a red light when she saw it. A blue jay was perched in the tree in Mrs. Edderson's front yard. It was like a sign. Rachel immediately knew where to find him.

Rachel drove to Faurot Park and headed to the willow tree. She knew she'd find him at their bench; it had become their spot after that very first day. Rachel also knew that was one of Noah's favorite places to sit and think, and she wondered why she didn't consider it first.

Puck sat pensively on the bench just staring at the lake. He had his guitar beside him, but he had yet to pick it up. Right now, all he wanted to do was think. Puck smirked to himself; he considered it personal growth that he wasn't drunk off his rocker. If this had all gone down about six months ago, he'd be sitting there with a bottle of Jack to dull his pain. But he wasn't that guy anymore, a fact that he was glad of. Suddenly, movement off to his left caught his eye.

"Hi," Rachel said timidly, unsure if she was intruding, though she knew in her mind she was.

"Hey," Puck responded, giving her a small smile.

He was glad to see Rachel. Somehow he knew she'd find him, and even though he wanted to be left alone by most people, it felt right for her to be there. She was his rock.

Slowly, she sat down on the bench. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She stared at the lake, her hands playing absently with the hem of her skirt. He smiled to himself, knowing that she wanted to say something, anything, but he found it endearing that she was trying to respect the silence he was in. He knew how much she hated tense silence. Still, she sat there, just staring at the lake with him. Puck reached over and grabbed her hand, which made Rachel grin in relief. He smiled too as they both settled back into the bench. They were still silent, but at least it was comfortable.

After about fifteen minutes, Puck finally spoke, "Did we do the right thing?"

Without taking her eyes off the lake, Rachel replied quietly, "I think you did the responsible thing."

"Yeah, but was it the _right_ thing?" Puck asked again.

Rachel heard the anguish laced in his voice. When she looked in his eyes, they were darkened with questions she honestly had no idea how to answer. "I don't know," she admitted.

His answer was almost inaudible, "Me neither."

She nestled into his side, and his arm tightened protectively around her. She smiled as she felt him kiss the top of her head before settling his cheek against her hair.

"Sing me something," Rachel suddenly requested.

Puck looked down at her face, obviously unsure. She just returned his gaze with a determined look. She knew this would help him. If she had told him once, she had told him a million times: music healed the soul. Puck obviously saw the spark in her eyes and gave her a slight smile. She barely saw the shake of his head as he made the decision to play for her. Reluctantly, Puck eased his arm from Rachel's shoulder and grabbed his guitar. She scooted a little away from him so she could turn toward him and cross her legs Indian-style on the bench. Puck strummed a few chords but didn't lift his head. It was a slow, haunting melody that she'd never heard before.

_Tell me why the grass was greener__  
__Years ago__  
__I swear it used to grow here__  
__But no more here_

_Tell me why__  
__On this hill__  
__All the birds they used to come to fly here__  
__Come to die here_

She watched as he looked up in the trees; she knew he was thinking about his father as much as he was thinking of Kaitlyn.

_And tell me why I need to know__  
__Sometimes I wish I didn't have to know__  
__All you show me_

_Hey, world__  
__What you say?__  
__Should I stick around for another day or two?__  
__Don't give up on me__  
__I won't give up on you__  
__Just believe in me  
Like I believe in you_

_The only thing I want to do__  
__Is to be in the arms of someone who believes in me__  
__Like I believe in you__  
__I try, try, try, try__  
__I try, try, try, try for you__  
__Don't give up on me_

_And I cry, cry, cry, cry__  
__I cry, cry, cry, cry for you__  
__Just believe in me__  
__Like I believe in you. _

His voice caught at these lines, and Rachel wasn't sure he would even finish the song. He didn't. Once he stopped singing and playing, he finally met Rachel's eyes. Hers were shining with unshed tears as she said, "I believe in you always."

Those words were enough to launch Puck into her arms as he broke down and cried for the first time since the whole ordeal came to light. Rachel wrapped loving arms around him as he sobbed into her chest. She knew he was crying not just for the little girl whose parents gave her up by choice, but more for the little boy whose father left him years ago without a choice. There were no words spoken for a long time. Rachel cried silently as she rocked him, stroked his head, and sang hushed lullabies as he wept.

When he had finally cried all the tears his eyes would allow, he looked up into Rachel's face. He looked more at peace than he had in many months, and for that Rachel was so grateful. She smiled as his eyes flickered to her plump red lips. Slowly he leaned forward to claim her lips with his. The kiss wasn't urgent or frenzied; it was sweet and longing, and in it, Rachel could taste his regrets and his hopes. He pulled himself up her body as he placed his arms around her waist possessively. Their salty tears mingled with the passion of their kiss as their tongues danced a gentle dance. Puck was the one to break the kiss when he rested his chin to Rachel's forehead.

"How can I ever thank you enough for being here for me?" he whispered.

"You know you never have to; I'll always be here," Rachel said simply before pressing her lips to his again.

* * *

After sitting on the bench for a little while longer, Rachel and Puck went back to Puck's house and watched a movie. Hannah could tell something had happened while the kids were gone, but the light in her son's eyes was back. And that made her so happy and grateful.

At the end of their movie, Rachel snuggled closer to Puck's side but noticed someone around the corner.

"Nina?" she called softly. "What are you doing, honey?"

Nina peeked inside the living room, unsure if she could come in. "I was wondering if I could watch a movie with you guys," she answered sheepishly.

Rachel looked up at Puck's face and saw him smiling tenderly at his sister. "Of course, Nina Bean," he said, motioning for her to sit on the couch beside him.

She bounced into the room and plopped down on the sofa and snuggled up to Puck's other side. It made him smirk seeing his "two girls" on either side of him. He kissed both girls on the top of their heads and told Nina to pick out the next movie to watch. She picked _Mary Poppins_, and of course, Nina and Rachel sang along with all the songs. It was a relaxing afternoon for everyone.

* * *

Rachel woke up early on Sunday morning to the sounds of multiple voices downstairs. Pulling Noah's McKinley hoodie over her pajamas, she padded quietly downstairs to find her fathers talking to Noah. Not wanting to interrupt them, she quickly got a cup of tea from the kitchen and then curled up on the couch next to her boyfriend.

"Hey, babe," he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "Did we wake you up?"

"No, it's okay," Rachel replied. "I needed to get up. I just didn't expect company, but it's a nice surprise."

"Well, we'll let you get to your day," Ethan smiled, getting up from his easy chair.

"Thank you, sirs," Puck said, rising to shake their hands.

Puck appreciated talking to the Misters Berry. He was just grateful they still allowed him to see Rachel. They obviously knew about the baby situation, and from the way Raymond looked at him when he answered the door that morning, Puck was pretty sure they knew of his mini-breakdown as well. He'd come to see the Berry men as father-type figures. He valued and respected them so much.

"If you ever need to talk, Noah," Ray started, patting Puck on the back. They shared a look, and Puck knew no more words were necessary. They had a shared understanding, and for that, Puck was forever thankful.

"Thank you," Puck nodded.

Once Rachel's fathers had quietly taken their leave, Puck turned to Rachel and pulled her gently into his arms. Rachel smiled as she took in his expression. Ever since his emotional collapse in the park, she could tell he was again a different person. When she looked into his eyes, she saw the old Noah, the one before the baby scandal broke out, before his heart broke over giving up his baby girl, but not before he fell for Rachel. His eyes were green and sparkling today. She loved when his eyes sparkled.

"Let's do something fun today," he said with a grin.

Rachel eyed him suspiciously. "What do you have in mind?" she asked with a smirk of her own.

"How does roller-skating sound?" Puck asked with a lazy lilt.

"Oh, Noah! How fun! I haven't been skating in years!" Rachel exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Good," he said, satisfied at her reaction. "Go get ready, and we'll go," he teased, tickling her sides causing her to squeal in delight.

"Okay!" she giggled, skipping off to shower.

Rachel showered and got ready in her bathroom, and found Noah lounging on her bed when she came back into her bedroom. She giggled as she watched him cuddle with her pillows. He, in turn, watched her finish her hair and get her jewelry on.

"'Music Box Dancer,' eh?" Puck questioned the music he heard as Rachel opened her jewelry box.

"Yes, I'm impressed. How did you know?" she smiled, definitely surprised.

"Nina's first dance recital," Puck shrugged. "I heard it _all _the time." Rachel rolled her eyes at his exaggeration. "No, seriously, months and months over and over," he winked.

Rachel laughed at his exasperation and hopped onto the bed next to Puck. Placing a sweet kiss on his lips, she smiled gently at him.

"Let's go have some fun," Rachel said between kisses to Noah's cheeks, nose, neck, and lips.

"Mmm," he hummed. "Are you sure this isn't enough fun?" he asked huskily.

Her laugh filled the room, but even still, she nuzzled closer to his neck. "This is a lot of fun," she admitted. At his smirk, she added with a pout, "But I want to go skating."

He groaned and shoved himself off the bed before he could get himself into more trouble. Grabbing Rachel's hand, they bounded down the stairs and went off to a day of fun. They went to the local skating rink and spent the afternoon laughing and flirting and getting back their lighthearted, happy relationship. Rachel was not a good skater, but she was determined to go around the rink without help. Puck just laughed at her spark, and skated up behind her quietly. He grabbed her waist, causing her to let out a shriek and get off-balance, sending them both slipping to the ground.

Rachel did not stop laughing the entire day; she was so glad to have her Noah back. She knew he'd grown up a lot in the last months, but he was still the guy she fell for way back when they did their duet.

Puck did not know what he did to deserve a girl like Rachel. She was joyful and carefree, but she was also determined and stubborn. Puck figured it was a good thing she was obstinate at times; otherwise, she wouldn't have stuck by him like she did.

Rachel couldn't have thought of a better way to spend her weekend.

* * *

Quinn sent Rachel a text late Sunday night asking her and Puck to come to school early Monday so Quinn would have someone to walk in with. Rachel made sure she passed the message along to Puck since they would be driving separately because of Puck's basketball practice. He told her that of course he'd be there. Monday morning, Quinn walked in for the first time since the baby was born, and she was grateful to be flanked by Rachel and Puck, who had surprisingly become some of her closest friends. Sure, she still had Brittany and Santana, but they could only support her so much. Puck knew firsthand what Quinn was going through, and Rachel, by default, knew the majority of it too.

They made it all the way to Quinn's locker without so much as an awkward stare by anyone. Then, it happened. For the first time in what felt like forever, Finn Hudson came up to them. He looked hesitant but continued to shuffle up to them. He took in Quinn's tired eyes and Rachel's protective stance as well as Noah's suspicious glare. Rachel felt Quinn stiffen beside her and proceeded to grab her hand.

"Hey, Quinn," Finn spoke, his voice sounding odd to his own ears and her name sounding funny on his lips. Had it really been that long since they'd spoken? The blind truth hit him square in the face. It _had _been that long. And he was mostly to blame for it.

"Hello," she whispered.

"Look, I, uh, just wanted to see how you were doing," he said quietly. "I know I should've been there when Drizzle was born."

Quinn bristled at the mention of her daughter. Even though she didn't keep her, she was still a mama bear at heart. And hearing Finn call the baby Drizzle was enough to give her the resolve to say what she needed to say.

"Yes, you should have," she responded shortly. "And frankly, I don't know why I expected anything more from you." Quinn gazed at him long and unblinking before slamming her locker door and turning to leave.

"Quinn, I–" Finn tried, but stopped when he saw anger flash in Puck's eyes and Rachel's hand come up to warn him. Ashamed, Finn just hung his head.

Quinn whipped around and gave him one last stare as a tear leaked down her cheek. "Kaitlyn."

"Huh?" Finn asked.

"My daughter. Her name is Kaitlyn," Quinn clarified. "Not Drizzle. Not anymore," she spat out. With that, she stalked away before she could let out the sob that threatened to overtake her.

And all Finn could do was watch.

* * *

Rachel was still shaken from the confrontation poor Quinn had gone through this morning with Finn. She knew it hurt the blonde more than she let on; it was clear Quinn still loved Finn and for her to stand up to him the way she did, Rachel knew it had to have killed her. She hadn't seen Puck all day, but from the way he'd kissed her before her first class, she knew that he was proud of her and grateful for her being there for Quinn earlier that morning. Rachel was glad Puck was coming over that evening for dinner; she always looked forward to spending time with Noah, especially now that they were closer than ever before. Exchanging out her books before she went home, Rachel noticed a piece of paper sticking out of her notebook. Her heart did a small flip-flop when she realized if this was a note from Noah, it would be the first note since Babygate. And the prospect of that excited her to no end. Opening it carefully, she smiled as she read it:

_I'm in trouble  
I'm an addict  
I'm addicted to this girl  
She's got my heart tied in a knot  
And my stomach in a whirl  
But even worse I can't stop calling her  
She's all I want and more  
I mean damn,  
What's not to adore?_

Laughing softly and blushing furiously, Rachel stuck the note in her purse and headed home to wait anxiously for her handsome, flirty boyfriend.

* * *

Puck had had a rough practice. Finn was still acting like a pansy from getting shot down by Quinn this morning, so he was taking it out on everyone. And Coach made them run suicides for the whole second half of the practice because of it. Needless to say, Puck was exhausted and frustrated. The only consolation was that he'd be spending the evening with Rachel. After showering, he threw his bag in his truck and headed out the door before he had to hear Finn complaining over everything in the locker room.

Ethan greeted Puck cheerfully as he led the teen to where Rachel was. She was stretched out on the sofa, dressed in a pair of lime green yoga pants and a white tank top with a matching green star, and she was perusing her worn copy of _Pride and Prejudice _(he had endured many a debate why Mr. Darcy was the perfect man). Leaning over the couch, he kissed Rachel gently on the lips, before he pulled back and licked his own lips.

"Mmm, you taste nice and fruity," he said.

Rachel giggled and held up the lollipop she was eating. "Why thank you, Noah, and may I say you smell fresh and clean," she countered.

He chuckled as he plopped onto the couch, lifting her legs to lay them on top of his lap. "Why thank you, Berry," he said with a wink. "I'm surprised your sucker's not grape though. I thought that was your favorite flavor of everything," he teased.

She shrugged happily, "I just felt like strawberry today."

"Well, okay then," he snickered while he grabbed his history book out of his bag to study.

"Want a taste?" she asked seductively, placing the sucker right as his lips.

He smirked at the flirty look on her face. He loved this confident-in-her-sexuality Rachel; he didn't see her often, but when she showed up, she laid it on thick. Rachel managed to look sweet and sexy at the same time. Shaking his head, he whispered, "Maybe later."

She giggled once more and went back to reading her book. He had a few chapters to read in history, but he mindlessly rubbed Rachel's feet with the hand that was not holding his book steady. He was trying his best to study, but Puck kept watching Rachel out of the corner of his eyes. He watched as she licked and swirled the lollipop in her mouth; it was clear she was oblivious to the effect she had on him. He had to suppress more than one moan every time he saw the sucker make its way in and out of her mouth. It definitely made his mind travel to dirty places. If he didn't know Rachel better, he'd say she was doing it on purpose, but truth is, he did know her. And she was honestly that sexy without trying to be coy; she had just the right mixture of innocent and hot. And that made Puck hot.

"You know what, I think I'll have a taste after all," he said suddenly, and he smirked when she didn't look up from her book but held the sucker out for him to take.

Gently, he grasped her wrist with one hand and used the other one to reach under her legs and hoist her deftly onto his lap. She was inches away from his face and the sudden shift in movement combined with the close proximity of their faces made her breathing speed up a little bit. Rachel mentally shook her head in shock. Even after months of dating, he still could make her feel lightheaded. Not that she was complaining.

Then, never taking his eyes from hers, he guided the lollipop toward his mouth, twirled it in his mouth quickly, then pulled it out with a _pop_. He grinned wickedly as she just watched with a blush creeping onto her face. Then, he turned her wrist with her palm facing him and placed a gentle, lingering kiss to her pulse point (which she was pretty sure was erratic by now). Then, he brought his lips to hers, all the while ghosting his fingertips up and down her sides. She gasped at the fluttering movement of his hands, and Puck took that as an opportunity to deepen the kiss. Every spot of her mouth tasted like strawberry lollipop. Her fingers made their way to his Mohawk, and she began to play with the hairs at the nape of his neck. He growled lightly as he pressed kisses against her neck and collarbone. She tilted her head back to give him better access, and made a kittenish mewl as she did so. He nipped harder at the spot on her neck, and she sighed in contentment. Rachel never wanted him to stop, but then a thought crossed her mind. They were still in her living room, in plain view of anyone (e.g. her fathers). Talk about a mood-killer.

"Noah," she breathed, biting back a moan as his lips descended to the valley of her chest, "my fathers..." She knew she was ruining the moment, but the last thing they needed was her dads to walk in on them.

Puck heard her say his name and something else, but he wasn't quite sure. He loved when her voice got all breathy like that. It pretty much drove him crazy. Then he registered what she actually said. Her fathers were still in the house somewhere. They needed to stop, or they'd be risk getting caught in a compromising situation. Not that he minded having his hot girlfriend on his lap latching her lips onto his collarbone and moaning his name, but her dads might have an issue with it.

"Sorry, baby," he murmured against her skin. He captured her lips for one more kiss before just cuddling her to his chest.

She sighed once more, glad that he understood why they needed to tone it down a little. Perhaps after dinner, they could continue their make-out time. When she suggested this to Puck with a mischievous gleam in her eye, it was all he could do not to drag her upstairs then and there. Rachel laughed as she kissed him once more before snuggling at his side to watch a little TV before her fathers called them for supper. As they watched reruns of "Family Guy," she heard a faint noise coming from Puck, like a piece of hard candy hitting his teeth. She looked up to find him eating her sucker from before. So _that's_ where it went.

"Hey! That was mine!" she grumbled, playfully swatting at his chest.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want it back?" he teased, taking a big bite of it before handing it back to her.

"I hope you break a tooth, biting it like that," she reprimanded. "Really, Noah, that's not good for your oral hygiene to bite on hard candies like that."

"Like you weren't going to do the same thing," he said with a wink. She grinned sheepishly, knowing that yes, she probably would've done the same thing.

"Here," he handed the rest of the lollipop back to her, "you can have it back."

"Gee, thanks," she replied sarcastically.

"You're welcome," he said, just as cheekily. "Besides," he whispered close to her ear, "_straw_berry is nice, but I think _Rachel _Berry might be my favorite."

Blushing a deep crimson, Rachel thought to herself, yep, he was definitely getting back to his old self.

* * *

**AN2: I know there wasn't a whole lot going on in this chapter, but I think it was necessary to show how everything has changed Noah and shaped him into who he's become. Plus, I needed Quinn to stand up for herself so Finn will see he needs to regret and apologize for the mistakes he's made as well. **

**AN3: Noah's song: "Hey World (Don't Give Up Version)" (Michael Franti & Spearhead), Noah's note: "Trouble" (Never Shout Never)**

**AN4: To give you all fair warning, this story is quickly wrapping up! It's kinda sad; I hate to say goodbye to it! But, I have a bazillion story ideas running through my brain and a gazillion pages of notes and story starts already written! I have put a poll up on my profile with three newest story ideas! I'd love your feedback on which you would like to read next! I fully plan on writing all of these stories eventually, but I'm curious to see what my readers want to read. So, please, take the quick poll and/or leave me some feedback in a review! Speaking of reviews, you guys are amazing! At the risk of sounding selfish, keep them coming! I love hearing what you all think about my story! Remember, R&R=Love! :o)  
**


	24. Half Life

**AN: Whew. Longest chapter yet, I believe. I hope this chapter pleases you all. There are reconciliations and warm fuzzies galore (I hope you feel that way at least!). :o) Oh, and I have uh-may-ing news to share from my LA trip (which ends tomorrow sadly)!! It's at the bottom! Please R&R! :o)**

* * *

_**Chapter 24: Half Life**_

"What do you think you're doing?"

Rachel spun away from Puck's locker in surprise to find the boy in question smirking down at her with his arms crossed.

"Nothing," she smiled coyly. She had been putting a note in his locker, but it would ruin the secret moment if she brought it up.

"Oh really? Nothing?" he flirted, leaning his arm on his locker to bring his face closer to hers so that they were inches apart.

She batted her eyelashes and grinned up at him. "Don't ruin the secret, Noah," she scolded playfully.

"Okaaaay," he sighed, but he winked at her as he slung his arm over her shoulder.

"How has your day fared you, Noah?" Rachel questioned as they headed to the lunchroom.

"Pretty boring actually," he replied. "You?"

"It's okay so far," she shrugged. "Finn kept giving me looks like a wounded puppy in class, but when I attempted to speak, he found ways to involve his attention otherwise. It was quite odd."

Puck scoffed at the accurate assessment of Finn; lately Finn had been discreetly watching Rachel, Quinn, and Puck from afar. He figured Finn was working on forgiving them, but every time he tried to talk to him, Finn would bristle and leave. Puck understood why he was mad, but it was getting a little old. He knew that what he'd done to Finn was hard to forgive, but he'd never expected Finn to take it out on Rachel of all people, just because she was Puck's girlfriend and now Quinn's friend. He even figured Finn would've forgiven Quinn by now.

"I'm sorry he's still being a jerk to you, Rach," Puck said honestly. "I didn't think he would take this out on you. I mean, you were his good friend."

"It's all right, Noah. I do think he's trying in his own way," she observed.

"Maybe," Puck said doubtfully.

Rachel moved closer to his side, wrapping her arm around his waist. He tightened his hold on her shoulder and bent to kiss her temple. Then, just as quickly as he straightened, an ice cold slushie hit his face. He opened his eyes as quickly as the corn syrup would allow and found that Rachel had not been left out of the attack. As he scanned the laughing crowd to see who the culprit was, the stupid freshman with two empty slushie cups dashed down the hall knocking into Rachel as he went. She slipped on the slushie that covered the floor and was about to hit the floor when Puck pulled her up to steady her, only to slip and fall in the process. He was about to jump up and beat the idiot when Finn cut the kid off in the middle of the hallway and slammed him against the locker and held the kid's shirt in his fist.

"If I were you, I'd think twice about tossing slushies on Puck and Rachel, or any of the Glee kids for that matter," Finn sneered. "Consider the slushie war over."

"Y-yeah, okay, Finn," the freshman stuttered as he apologized profusely. "It won't happen again."

All Puck could do was sit and stare at the scene before him; he hadn't even attempted to move from his spot on the floor. And then, to add another surprise, Finn came over and extended his hand to Puck. He stared at Finn's hand for a split second, but hesitantly accepted in order to get off the floor.

"Thanks, man," Puck said.

Finn just shrugged and made a noncommittal grunt before turning to Rachel with a chagrined smile. She nodded sweetly, and without saying a word, Finn turned and shuffled down the hallway.

It was a few seconds before Rachel and Puck registered what had just happened.

"It's a start," she whispered as she led him to the boys' locker room.

Once inside, Puck grabbed some paper towels and wiped off his face. Turning to Rachel, he realized she was wearing a white shirt and the purple liquid had seeped through, causing her top to cling to her curves. She stood uncomfortably with her hands across her chest, but he had already seen an eyeful. Trying to be considerate, he handed her a long-sleeved McKinley tee from his bag. "Here," he said. "You can wear this."

"Thank you, Noah," she replied gratefully. "I thought the days of having to bring an extra set of clothes were behind us."

"I know, but there will always be douchebags who try to be cool," Puck smirked. "You know, I could help you clean up if you want," he flirted, strutting closer to her, circling his arms around her waist and drawing her flush against his body.

Rachel blushed, and even though she could tell he was kidding, the heat in his eyes told her that he really wouldn't be opposed to it. Inwardly she sighed, thankful he was so patient with her. She was still uncomfortable with most intimacy, but as her feelings for Noah grew, the desire for him intensified as well. She was just glad he was willing to wait.

"Just get cleaned up, and I'll meet you at lunch," she said with a syrupy smack to his cheek.

She giggled melodiously at the pout on his face and the subsequent wink he shot her as she pranced out the door.

* * *

It had taken only a few minutes for Rachel to clean up and head to the lunchroom. Mercedes was the first to notice her wet hair and called her on it.

"Aww hell no! You didn't get slushied, did you?" the chocolate thundered diva cried.

Rachel nodded sadly, pulling out the turkey sandwich from her brown bag.

"Oh, sweetie! Why didn't you call us?" Kurt asked.

"Noah was with me. He got hit too," Rachel explained.

"Wow, I thought the slushie war was over," Tina reveled.

"Well, apparently some immature ninth grader failed to heed the message," Rachel replied. "However, I think he won't be a problem anymore. Finn stood up for us," she added.

The others gawked in surprise. Finn hadn't been the same since Babygate broke loose. He hadn't completely ignored the others in Glee, but it was obvious he was distancing himself from everyone. Lately, they all could tell a slow change in him, however. He was more apt to contribute in rehearsal, and he was starting to initiate conversations with his fellow members.

"Perhaps he's finally ready to forgive," Kurt said solemnly.

The conversation came to a lull, but since there wasn't anything else to talk about, the silence became heavy. Artie and Tina sat on opposite ends of the table, and it was clear they were both miserable. Kurt and Mercedes tried to make the conversation flow naturally, but it was clearly for naught. They all resumed eating lunch and were waiting for Puck to join them and break some of the tension Artie and Tina emitted, when another group of four came up to their table. The original Gleeks were surprised to find Matt, Mike, Santana, and Brittany watching them apprehensively. While they all got along better as a group, no one expected the jocks and Cheerios (besides Puck) to come eat with them in the public lunchroom. Nine pairs of eyes appraised each other curiously. Brittany was the first to break the weird silence.

"Kurt," she began, and when she had the fashionista's attention, she continued cheerfully, "will you go to the prom with me?"

Kurt eyed the sweet blonde cheerleader. Sure, they had fun being partners for their duet, but he hardly called them friends. "Um, is this a joke?"

"Yeah, 'cause if it is, we ain't biting," Mercedes rushed to include.

"No, silly!" Brittany reassured him. "I know it may seem like it since we used to be so mean to you all, but we're friends now, right?" She looked at the four misfit teens with such earnest that Artie couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly.

"Of-of course, Brittany, if you want to be friends," Artie complied.

Santana grinned fondly at the sigh of relief that passed from Brittany's lips as she bent down suddenly to hug Artie. She squeezed so tightly that Artie's glasses were askew when she lifted herself back upright.

"I'm still not sure why are you asking me to prom though," Kurt spoke up. "Especially since, um, Matt is right there," he stuttered, motioning to the quiet black teen.

"Oh, he said it was a good idea! He knows I'm asking you!" Brittany chirped. Then, she caught on. "I mean, obviously! I'm right here, and he is too!"

This time Santana couldn't help but roll her eyes, and help her friend from digging a bigger hole than she seemed to be in now. "What Britt is failing to explain here is that we were just talking about prom, and she felt really bad that the whole Glee group wouldn't get to come since you guys are sophomores. Obviously Rachel will be going with Puck, but that leaves you all out," the Latina explained. Rachel's eyes flickered up to the Cheerio when she heard her name.

"Right. What she said," Brittany agreed proudly.

"So, anyway," Santana continued, "Brittany's idea was that we," motioning to the four standing, "would all ask you guys so 'technically,'" she said with air quotes, "you'd all be going with juniors, and all the members of New Directions could go to prom together."

"Oh, San, you say things so much better than me! Thank you for explaining!" Brittany gushed, before wrapping her friend in another crushing hug.

Artie and Tina nodded thoughtfully at their reasoning, while Kurt and Mercedes squealed in excitement at being asked to prom as tenth graders. Rachel felt jealousy creep up in her stomach over the fact that Noah hadn't even asked her to prom yet. Maybe he wasn't going to; maybe after all they'd been through, he was embarrassed to be with her. She didn't honestly think that was the reason, but she couldn't help but let her mind panic. She'd have to ask him as soon as he got to lunch.

"Of course, I'll go to prom with you, Brittany," Kurt accepted. "We will look absolutely fabulous together," he said with a wink, eliciting a giggle from the ditzy cheerleader.

"So, how about it, 'Cedes? Will you go to prom with me?" Matt asked shyly yet hopefully. He went along with Brittany's idea because he wanted to make her happy, but truthfully, he enjoyed Mercedes' company too. She had spunk and soul, and Matt liked that about her.

"That sounds nice, Matt," Mercedes smiled just as shyly. She'd never been asked on a date before, and even though this wasn't technically real, she was more excited than she dared to let on.

"Tina, my sister from another mister, how 'bout it?" Mike asked his fellow Asian.

Tina snickered at Mike's silly antics, but graciously accepted his offer. She glanced hesitantly at Artie, hoping that she would be able to read his emotions, but no such luck. They were sort of speaking with each other when it was necessary, but definitely were not even close to being friends anymore.

"Well, Wheels, that leaves us. Think you can handle this?" Santana sassed with a smirk and a shake of her hips.

"I'm pretty sure I can," Artie teased. He popped a quick wheelie before adding with a wink, "I'm just not sure you can handle _this_."

"You know, Abrams, you are a pretty cool guy," Santana laughed, shaking her head. She felt a tinge of regret for being so mean to these people for so long. Thankfully, they were much better people than she, and they were willing to forgive them all. Santana was actually looking forward to prom with Artie; she could tell he and Tina had an awful falling out, so maybe this night was just what he needed to get his spirits back up.

"Thanks, Santana," he replied profoundly.

Matt, Mike, and the girls didn't stay much longer to chat but promised to talk more about it in Glee later. They waved and said their goodbyes, with Brittany hugging everyone, and the original Gleeks were left to eat the rest of their lunch in confusion but pleasant surprise over what had just happened.

"Has Mohawk asked you to prom officially yet, Rach?" Mercedes questioned the brunette who was actually quiet for once.

"No, actually, he has not," Rachel conceded. "I'm sure he just assumes that being a couple we automatically will be attending this social function together. Still it would be nice to be asked," she smiled weakly.

The girls and Kurt wholeheartedly agreed, while Artie looked thoughtful once more.

"Well, you can ask him now, because he's coming toward you. And he looks like he's a man on a mission," Artie pointed out.

* * *

Puck was more than irritated. He had banged his head against the faucet twice trying to wash the slushie out of his Mohawk. He had a good mind to track down that freshman and giving him a piece of his mind, and by his mind, he meant his fists.

He was going over a game plan in his head when he remembered that he had seen Rachel slip a note into his locker earlier. Immediately, he felt better. It was amazing the calm he always felt after thinking about Rachel. He headed to his locker and found the note.

_While we're young and beautiful, kiss me like you mean it. _

It was short and sweet and oh-so-Rachel. He smiled to himself, and not for the first time did he find himself thinking he was so whipped. Well, if she wanted to be kissed, he could take care of that. After all, he thought to himself smirking, who was he to deny love for the Puckerone?

He saw her from across the lunchroom. She looked a little down, but he was pretty sure he knew how to fix that. Stalking toward her with purpose, Puck made his way up to the Glee table. He hovered over Rachel, who stared at him curiously.

"Noah?" she questioned as he gently pulled her from her seat. "What are–?"

She wasn't able to finish because she was cut off by Puck's lips on hers along with his hands steadying her body as he dipped her back dramatically. He mashed his lips firmly against hers and although she was caught by surprise, she returned the kiss eagerly. They didn't part until the wolf whistles around the lunchroom started. Puck brought Rachel back steady on her feet and took in her starry-eyed smile.

Leaning in close to her ear, he simply drawled, "Just following orders, ma'am."

She blushed bright red from her chest to the roots of her hair. "Oh" was all she could say. Well, that took care of the whole "he's embarrassed by me" line of thought. His kiss made her brain so hazy that she forgot to even ask him about prom.

He grinned mischievously as he took the seat next to her and scooted her chair close to his so he could drape his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, um, hey Puck," Artie strangled out.

"Abrams, 'sup, man?" Puck nodded to him with a smirk.

There was an awkward silence as the table assessed the situation at hand. Kurt and Mercedes shifted their eyes back and forth to each other with Cheshire grins while Artie shook his head in unbelief and Tina ducked her head in discomfort. Rachel was still blushing as she stole looks at Puck and the rest of the table, and Puck was scarfing down his food, pausing only long enough to wink at Rachel.

"So, why is everyone so quiet?" Puck asked around a bite of mystery meat.

The question alone was enough to send Kurt and Mercedes into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, sorry, Tall and Tanned Adonis," Kurt said, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. "It's just that only you could come into a crowded lunchroom and kiss your girlfriend with no abandon and then just sit down as if nothing happened."

"What can I say? I'm a stud," Puck smirked.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I suppose I'll have to be careful for what I wish for from now on," she said playfully.

"You asked for him to suck your face off in the lunchroom?" Mercedes asked incredulously.

Rachel gnawed at her lower lip. "Well, not exactly." At the skeptical looks of her friends, she quickly added, "You know what? It really doesn't matter." Their eyebrows rose further, and Rachel huffed. "It's just something that has to do with me and Noah," she said indignantly.

"Yeah, she just can't get enough of my body," Puck added.

"Noah!" Rachel swatted at his chest.

The rest of the table laughed. "Rachel, we're just teasing with you. It's not anyone's business," Artie placated.

"It's just kind of funny to watch you squirm," Kurt grinned devilishly.

Once again, Rachel rolled her eyes, but was saved from dignifying them with a response by the bell. "I'll see you all in rehearsal," she said haughtily, but couldn't help the smile that was coming to her lips.

* * *

That afternoon, as Rachel and Puck entered the choir room, Mr. Schuester was there dividing the kids as they came in.

"All right, Rachel, you go to the left side of the room, and Puck, you go to the center," Mr. Schuester directed.

Rachel walked over to Santana in confusion, while Brittany waved Puck over to her excitedly. Quinn and Artie were talking quietly over on the right side of the room. Slowly, as the rest of the group entered, Mr. Schue told them where to stand until they were split into three groups of four. Rachel looked at the rest of her group: Santana, Matt, and Mike. Whatever Mr. Schuester had planned, she was sure they would excel. She scanned the room and noticed the other two groups: Kurt, Quinn, Tina, and Artie were huddled in the corner, with Artie and Tina the farthest apart on either end of their group. That left the last group: Mercedes, Finn, Puck, and Brittany. Rachel had to admit that she was a little surprised Puck and Finn hadn't protested to being in a group together, but she hoped that was another small step they were taking to restoring their friendship.

"Okay, guys," Mr. Schuester said, getting their attentions, "now we've been working very hard for Regionals, with a few setbacks along the way. But I think we need to take one day and just have some fun."

"Mr. Schuester," Rachel said as her hand shot up, "are you sure that's a wise decision? We still have yet to nail down our set list, and I know I'm not the only one apprehensive about our chances against Vocal Adrenaline."

"Rachel, we are going to take time at the end of today's rehearsal to discuss our songs," he assured her. "Let's just have some fun right now."

"That sounds reasonable," Rachel said with a smile.

"Good," Mr. Schue returned her smile. "Here's what I have planned. I just want you guys to come up with a fun song to perform by the end of class. It doesn't have to be perfect; I want you guys to enjoy yourselves. We need to remember that even though winning is exciting and important, Glee is something fun for all of us to share."

"So, what exactly do you want us to do, Mr. Schue?" Finn spoke up.

"Find a song. You have forty-five minutes to come up with some quick choreography and then at the end of practice, you'll perform them. The song can be any genre, any decade you want," he explained. "Just have fun, and then we'll discuss songs for Regionals. I have some interesting ideas you guys might like," he grinned.

The groups broke up in their respective parts of the room. Rachel's group quickly decided on Santana's suggestion of "Are You That Somebody?" by Aaliyah. While the boys were making up some choreography, Rachel watched the other groups. Puck and Finn's group looked like they were working well together. Things looked a little tense with Artie and Tina, and she could only imagine what they were talking about.

* * *

Over on the right side of the room, Artie had shot down every one of Tina's ideas, and she was sick of it.

"All right, Artie, enough!" she all but shouted.

Artie looked at her in surprise. Kurt and Quinn's eyes widened, and they watched the exchange like a tennis match.

"Please listen to me" Tina pleaded, her demeanor immediately changing. "I'm sorry for lying. I've told you that a million times. Why won't you forgive me?"

"Tina," he began, "it's not like that."

"But it _is_ like that, Artie. I thought you liked me as much as I like you. I just didn't realize my stutter was the only thing you liked about me," she accused, though the pain in her voice defied her words.

"That's not true, Tina," Artie tried to defend himself.

"Then why are you mad at me for something so silly?!" she cried. "I apologized for lying! I didn't know lying about my stutter was going to hurt you so much."

"It's not that it's silly, Tina. It's that you lied in the first place," Artie grumbled.

Tina let out another huff. "I didn't even know you when I started stuttering. It was a coping mechanism. Then you came along and wanted to be my friend despite the fact I was different. For the first time, I had a real friend, so I didn't stop stuttering. But obviously, I should have. At least you would have hated me then instead of hating me now," she mumbled miserably.

"I don't hate you, Tina," Artie said softly. It was clear her words had struck a nerve. Artie took a deep breath and tried to find the words to explain his feelings to her. "It's just that I really like you, for more than just your stutter. It's just that the stutter is what brought us together. When it comes out that you don't have a stutter, people are going to see you as the beautiful, unique, funny person I know you are instead of seeing you as the Goth girl who can't talk. You'd be normal. Why on earth would you have a reason to stay with me when you could be normal?" He let out a sigh for finally saying all the words he had been holding back. He hung his head and waited for Tina to say something.

Tina just stared; she didn't even know what to say. Finally, a smile played on her lips. "Have you seen my hair or the way I dress? I will never be normal, Artie," she said moving over to sit next to him. "I don't want to be. I want to be different, and I want to be different with you."

Artie looked up hesitantly. Tina was smiling at him, and he couldn't help but give a small, pleading smile back. "I'm sorry I got angry with you, Tina."

"You had a right to be," she shrugged. "I'm just glad we got this worked out."

"Me too," he said.

"Are we okay, Artie? Please say we are," Tina beseeched him, placing her hand on his arm.

Artie smiled once again and said, "We are."

Tina leaned over then and hugged Artie tightly. He didn't even try to stop the audible sigh that came as she laid her head on his shoulder. Quinn and Kurt smiled wistfully at one another.

"Okay, not that this isn't the sweetest thing I've seen in awhile," Kurt admitted, "but we really should work on our song."

Artie and Quinn chuckled, and Tina just blushed. She was just relieved that she had her friend back.

* * *

In the center of the room, Brittany and Mercedes were talking about songs, but Puck and Finn were rather despondent when it came to interacting with each other. Mercedes noticed and pulled Finn aside.

"Okay, here's the 411, Frankenteen," she began. "Puck messed up, and he feels bad. He's apologized, and everyone can tell that you're miserable without his friendship and your relationship with Quinn. Just talk to him, Finn. You know you want to."

And with that she went back to the group, and announced she and Brittany were going to work on harmonies out in the hallway, giving a pointed look to Finn as she went. Finn pondered her words; she was right. He wasn't ready to be super buddy-buddy with Puck yet, but he was definitely missing his friend.

"Hey," he said to Puck.

Puck looked expectantly at him, unsure what Finn wanted. "Hey man."

"Look, I hate what you did to me, and I hate that you took something very special away from me," Finn started. "But I'm tired of hating _you_."

Puck swallowed hard. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that. Incidentally, Finn continued his spiel so Puck didn't have to say anything.

"I'm not saying we'll immediately be back to where we were, but I'm working on forgiving you. Because I miss my best friend, dude," he said with a sheepish look. "I miss my brother."

Puck nodded, and held out his hand tentatively to Finn. "I really am so sorry, Finn," he whispered.

"I know. We'll work on it," he shrugged. "Want to play some _Call of Duty_ this weekend?"

"Yeah, man, that sounds good," Puck smiled.

Finn left to find the girls, and Puck let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He knew they had a long road ahead of them, but he was going to do whatever it took to earn his friend's respect and trust back.

* * *

In the end, the three groups had more fun that Mr. Schue even realized they would. Rachel's group added sass and flair to their Aaliyah song. Artie's group gave an amazing rendition to Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten," and everyone decided that song would actually be a good fit for their Regionals set list. Rachel smiled when she noticed that Puck and Finn appeared to actually be enjoying themselves together as they sang their version of Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life." Mr. Schue was pleased and proud at their efforts, and he was quick to tell them so.

"So, for Regionals, here is what I'm thinking," he proposed. "We can definitely do incredible things with 'Unwritten,' so thanks to Kurt, Artie, Tina, and Quinn for their inspiring performance."

Everyone clapped as he continued, "I also have a solo that I think Rachel would be perfect for if no one protests."

Rachel looked around, bracing herself for rounds of complaints, but none came.

"I think a solo from Rachel would definitely carry us to victory," Quinn spoke up with a smile to her newfound friend. Rachel beamed and mouthed a _thank you_ across the room to Quinn in return.

"Great," Mr. Schuester said. "Rachel, we can talk about the song I have in mind a little later. Now for the third song, I was thinking: how do you guys feel about a little rearranging?"

"What's that?" Matt queried.

"I know!" Brittany exclaimed. "It's when you move around your furniture to make the room look bigger, right?"

Mr. Schue stifled a chuckle, "Well, yes, technically, Brittany. But what I'm talking about is rearranging a song to fit us. I checked the show choir rulebook, and it says nothing against rearranging and rewording a song to fit our purpose. I even called the board to make extra sure."

"You mean, you want us to rewrite a song with lyrics that apply to us?" Kurt clarified.

"Not necessarily," Mr. Schue countered. "I'm thinking of a Broadway song that would be perfect for us, but it's a little outdated. We would just be bringing it up to date."

Rachel looked around the room to gauge everyone's responses. Many looked confused, but a few of them looked as though their interest had been piqued.

"Sounds cool, Mr. Schue," Artie spoke up.

The rest of the group quickly agreed, and they all spent the rest of rehearsal working out lyrics to the song Mr. Schuester had suggested. By the end of the afternoon, they were excited about their set list and couldn't wait to begin rehearsing them.

Mr. Schue dismissed everyone, and slowly they all left until only Finn remained.

"Uh, Mr. Schue, can I ask you something?" he approached the man he looked up to more than anyone.

"Of course, Finn. What's on your mind?" Mr. Schue said, taking a seat on the risers.

"I kinda forgave Puck today," he blurted out. At Mr. Schue's surprised look, he went on. "We're not back to where we were, but we're working on it. Anyway, what I wanted to ask you is how I can do the same with Quinn."

Mr. Schue thought about Finn's request. "Well, have you tried to talk to her?"

"Well, sorta. But she shut me down. I'm worried that I waited too long, and now she hates me," Finn said ashamedly.

"Finn, I don't think she hates you," Mr. Schue reasoned. "She probably is hurt, though. Perhaps you should sing her a song to tell you how you feel," he suggested.

"Yeah, that could work," Finn nodded. "Then, at least she couldn't yell at me till the song ended, right?"

Mr. Schue chuckled, "Sure. Something like that."

"Well, I have been thinking about this one song. Is it okay if I stay in here for awhile?" Finn asked.

"Go ahead; just close the door when you leave," Mr. Schue said. As he got up from his seat, he patted Finn on the shoulder. "You know what you need to do, Finn."

"Thanks, Mr. Schue," Finn said.

As Mr. Schuester closed the door behind him, Finn thought about what Mr. Schue said. He did know what he had to do. He had to apologize to Quinn if she'd listen. Finn had meant what he said to Rachel that day Quinn ended up going into labor. He had told Rachel he wasn't like her. The truth is, he wished he could've been like her. He wanted to be forgiving and understanding. He had just felt so betrayed. He felt he had a right to be. But, eventually it changed from feeling betrayed to feeling guilty for not being there when Quinn needed him most. He had been selfish and now Quinn couldn't even stay in the same room long enough for him to apologize. He felt like he'd been slapped in the face, but deep down, he knew he deserved it. Taking a deep breath, Finn began to sing the song that had been swimming around in his brain the last few days.

_I'm awake in the afternoon  
I fell asleep in the living room  
And it's one of those moments  
When everything is so clear_

_Before the truth goes back into hiding  
I want to decide 'cause it's worth deciding  
To work on finding something more than this fear_

_It takes so much out of me to pretend  
Tell me now, tell me how to make amends_

_Maybe, I need to see the daylight  
To leave behind the half-life  
Don't you see I'm breaking down?_

_Oh lately, something here don't feel right  
This is just a half-life  
Is there really no escape?  
No escape from time  
Of any kind  
_

_I keep trying to understand  
This thing and that thing, my fellow man  
I guess I'll let you know  
When I figure it out_

Finn walked around the room, thinking about all that had happened between him and Quinn. He really was trying to understand why she and Puck did what they had done. It was no use hashing it out anymore.

_And I don't mind a few mysteries  
They can stay that way  
It's fine by me  
And you are another mystery I am missing_

_It takes so much out of me to pretend_

_Maybe, I need to see the daylight  
To leave behind this half-life  
Don't you see I'm breaking down?_

_Oh lately, something here don't feel right  
This is just a half-life  
Is there really no escape?  
No escape from time  
Of any kind  
_

He noticed something lying on the risers, and as he moved closer to it, he realized it was Quinn's sweater. Sitting down beside it, he grabbed it and breathed in its scent deeply. He choked out the next lines.

_Come on, let's fall in love  
Come on, let's fall in love  
Come on, let's fall in love  
Again  
_

Quinn had gotten all the way to her car before she felt the chill of the wind. She realized she'd left her sweater in the Glee room. Walking back into the room, she stopped short at hearing Finn's voice. The words he sang cut right to her heart. Was he singing about her? Did he want to fall in love again? She let out a gasp and Finn's head shot up. He got up from where he sat and continued to sing; this time with more vigor because the object of his song was actually listening.

_'Cause lately something here don't feel right  
This is just a half-life,  
Without you, I am breaking down_

_Awake me, I wanna see the daylight  
Save me from this half-life  
Let's you and I escape  
Escape from time_

_Come on, let's fall in love  
Come on, let's fall in love  
Come on, let's fall in love  
Again_

As he sang the last line, he reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Quinn closed her eyes instinctively at his touch, and Finn hoped that it wasn't out of disgust. He held out her sweater, and after taking it, she turned quickly to leave, but Finn stopped her by grabbing her elbow gently.

"Quinn, can we talk for a minute?" he asked.

She didn't say anything, but she stopped and turned to face him, so he took that as a good sign to continue. "Look, I'm stupid and I love you and I'm stupid and I should have never said those awful things to you and I'm stupid and I didn't mean to let you down and I'm so sorry and I know I should have stayed with you at the hospital and I'm stupid and I'm just so sorry, and did I mention I'm incredibly stupid?" After he was done talking, he gasped for a breath, and looked at Quinn hopefully.

Through her streaming tears, Quinn felt a giggle bubble up in her throat, "Yes, I believe you may have said it once or five times."

Finn chuckled too for a second but sobered quickly. "Quinn, I love you," he said softly, reaching to take her hand in his own. She didn't pull away, but she also didn't clasp her fingers around his, just kept her hand in his palm. "I know I haven't treated you right since everything came out. And I know I should've been there for you despite what happened. But if you can ever forgive me, I'll make it up to you, I promise," Finn implored.

Quinn took a few shaky breaths at his words. She was still so in love with him that to hear him say those words was balm on her aching heart. "Finn, I am so sorry for what I did; I hope you know that it was a mistake, and it should've never happened," she said. "I don't want to rehash everything, but I wanted to apologize again."

Finn nodded, and she continued, "Those words you said to me that day, Finn; they cut me to the core. I won't lie and say they didn't hurt; I may have deserved them, but I never thought you'd actually say them. And then, you leaving the hospital after I thought maybe we had come to a turning point absolutely broke my heart in more pieces than it was already in."

Finn winced at her words, "Quinn, I–"

"I know, Finn," she interrupted his interruption. "I love you, Finn. I never meant to hurt you, and deep down, I don't think you meant to hurt me in return. Can we try to move forward from here? Forgive each other and work on our relationship?"

"I want that more than anything, Quinn," Finn whispered. "I really do," he said as he pulled her to his chest.

"Me too," Quinn murmured against his chest. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Finn reiterated.

Then, slowly in order to give her time to stop him, Finn lowered his lips to Quinn's. She sighed into his mouth; she had missed this feeling. Suddenly, she felt tears leaking from her eyelids, and before she realized it, she felt salty tears on Finn's lips too. They broke the tender kiss, and Finn brushed the pad of his thumb on Quinn's cheek to wipe her tears away.

"I love you, Quinn," he smiled.

"And I love you," she returned.

She sighed once more as he clasped his hand with hers, and she laced their fingers together. Her heart was slowly being stitched back together, and she felt like floating on air when he kissed each knuckle and grinned as he walked her to her car. Finn's heart rejoiced as well because he finally was on his way to rebuilding the two most important relationships in his life.

* * *

**AN2: Rachel's note: "We're Young and Beautiful" (Carrie Underwood); Finn's song: "Half Life" (Duncan Sheik)**

**AN3: Okay, so here's the most exciting tidbit of my LA trip!!! My friends and I went to the Grove to see the Glee sneak peek of "Hell-O"!! It was AMAZING! Oh my glee, so many good things about it! But here's the best part: the cast was there!!! (Mark, Cory, Naya, Heather, Dianna, Harry, Dijon, Jenna, Jane, and the guy who plays Jacob) I got some fairly good pics of some of them! But! Here's the even better best part: I MET HARRY SHUM JR!!! He was behind us in the line to pay for parking!! We talked, and he was SO sweet!! It was so cool! He is very polite and so adorable in person!! *happy dance* Okay excited rant over!**

**AN4: Was anyone else's FF acting wonky last week? After I put up my last chapter, the bar graph thing on my stats stayed at 0 for days...but I got reviews on that chapter so I'm pretty sure it got hits...but yeah, just wondering if it has been weird for other people...  
**

**AN5: I forgot to mention this in last chapter: Thank you so much to novice242 for the winning bid on my my auction item for the Support Stacie auction! Also, please vote in the poll on my profile for my next multi-chapter story! Also, remember R&R = Love! ;o)**


	25. More Than One Can Imagine

**AN: Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than normal. This story is slowly winding down...*sniff* As much as I hate that, I'm very much against drawing out a story just for the sake of drawing it out. Plus, I have so many more ideas coming down the pipe that I want to get into other stories for you guys! Please R&R! :o)**

* * *

_**Chapter 25: More Than One Can Imagine**_

Two weeks later and one week before Regionals, the members of New Directions were working hard on their songs when Santana and Brittany came in with matching scowls.

"Is something wrong, Santana?" Rachel asked carefully. While the Latina had mellowed a little over the last months, Rachel was still wary of getting on her bad side.

"Coach Sylvester got Principal Figgins to change the date of prom to the same day as Regionals!" Santana griped.

"What?!"  
"She can't do that!"  
"Why would she do that?"  
"Figgins is so lame!"  
"I can't believe Sylvester would stoop this low!"

The responses rang out in unison.

"She said that if Glee is _so _important to us that we'd miss out on our 'high school rite of passage,'" Santana said with air quotes, "then we deserve to be losers."

"Well, that's a lame excuse," Puck said.

"I _know _it is, Puck," Santana snapped. "But still! It's prom!"

"Every girl grows up dreaming about what they're going to wear to prom or who they're going with!" Brittany cried.

Puck rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly, "Prom isn't that important, guys. It's just a stupid dance."

"I believe it's the fact of the matter, Noah. We all have to choose between things that are important to us," Rachel tried to explain. "This really is discriminatory against the Glee club members."

"Yeah but it's just _prom_," Puck groaned.

It was then that Rachel remembered that he had yet to ask her to prom, and she did her best to push her hurt aside. If they weren't going to be able to have a prom, it didn't really matter if he asked her now or not.

"Whatever, Puck, you just don't understand," Santana sniped. "I already bought a dress." she whined.

"So did I," Quinn added, smiling at Finn who placed his arm gently around her waist.

Even as the others shared smiles and silent _awwws _that the couple had finally found their way back to each other, they were still clearly upset over the fact that Glee club was always being discriminated against and bullied.

"Guys, I'm so sorry that Sue is still scheming after all this," Mr. Schuester tried to placate the disappointed teens.

"B-but I am supposed to take Kurt! H-he and I were gonna be fabulous together," Brittany said with a quiver in her voice.

"Oh, honey," Kurt crossed to the blonde who looked close to tears, "we _are _fabulous. We don't need a silly dance tell us that." Brittany sniffed but seemed uplifted by Kurt's statement.

"Perhaps we can convince Figgins to let us have our own small dance after Regionals?" Artie suggested.

"Yeah, he could leave up the decorations, and we could just order pizza or something," Tina added.

"Great idea, you two," Mr. Schue said. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

Artie and Tina shared a smile, and once again the rest of the girls and Kurt sighed over another couple getting back to their old selves.

"Good going, Abrams," Puck said as he half-heartedly punched Artie in the arm. "If that works, I'll actually have to go now," he chuckled unknowingly.

"You didn't want to take me to prom?" Rachel cut in innocently.

Puck's eyes widened as he realized what he said and what Rachel was probably thinking. The look in her eyes told him that she was extremely hurt. She probably thought he didn't want to go with her. But that wasn't the case at all. School dances just weren't his thing. Puck mentally kicked himself; he felt like such an idiot. The dance had simply slipped his mind with all the baby drama.

Extremely ashamed, he stammered out an apology. "I am so sorry, baby. I know what you're thinking, but I swear it's not that at all," he pleaded with her to understand. He didn't want to lose her over something so silly, even though in the back he knew he was being paranoid; if Rachel had stayed with him through his personal hell, he knew she wouldn't leave him over this. But still. "I just don't like dances. You know me, Rach. Wouldn't you rather just watch a movie and order out Chinese food?" he asked hopefully.

Rachel knew when she saw his eyes widen that he hadn't intentionally ignored the prom issue; he really wasn't a wear-a-monkey-suit-and-dance-around-in-a-room-with-silly-streamers-type. But she really wanted to go to the prom if they were going to have it. She was relieved, however, that Noah realized why she was upset and tried to fix it in the best way he knew how. Her hurt over not being asked at first lasted a split second. Still, she felt she could tease him a little over it, so she pouted her lips, put on her best puppy dog eyes, and fluttered her eyelashes. "But I was really hoping we could go."

One look at that face, and he knew what he had to do. Geez, he was so whipped. "Oh all right, fine. If we figure out how to have a prom, then we will go," he sighed.

"You're just going to assume I'd go with you without you asking?" she said with an eyebrow quirked.

"You want me to ask you?" Puck clarified. "Seriously?"

"It'd be the proper thing to do, Noah," she said, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, but Puck saw the sparkle in her eyes.

He held back a smirk, took her hand, and with a loud, melodramatic voice proclaimed, "Rachel Berry, would you do the honor of accompanying me to this year's prom or whatever it will be since we might not get to go to the real one?"

"I would be delighted, Noah Puckerman," she giggled. "I thought you'd never ask," she swooned playfully, looping her arms around his neck and smashing her lips to his.

The group chuckled at their antics. It was nice to see the happiness and carefree attitudes that all the couples seemed to have once more.

"All right, gang," Mr. Schue chuckled. "Now that that's all settled, let take it from the top."

The group cheered and got into their places for "Unwritten."

* * *

By the weekend, Rachel was so ready for some relaxation. It had been a long week. Mr. Schuester had been able to get Principal Figgins to allow them to have a dance in the school gym on Sunday, but it was not without a fight from Coach Sylvester. It seemed like that woman was always on a mission to make the Glee club kids' lives miserable. Rachel didn't understand how someone could stoop so low as to try to take away prom for certain individuals. She scoffed to herself; if worse had come to worse, she would've just gotten her Daddy to represent them all in a discrimination case against Sue Sylvester and Principal Figgins. He knew plenty of people at the ACLU, and Rachel was not above using that fact as a scare tactic. However, Figgins effectively shut Coach Sylvester up by making Mr. Schue promise that the gym would be spotless when they left on Sunday. So, they had their prom, but they had to bring dingy clothes with them to clean up the facility afterward. Rachel sighed. Well, at least they were getting a prom.

Then, if that hullabaloo wasn't enough, Jacob Ben-Israel had run a stupid story on his blog about the Glee club being some sort of secret orgy cult because the majority of the members were couples. Everyone was disgusted at his audacity; Brittany even cried though they weren't sure if she even knew what a cult was. Needless to say, after the guys found out, Jacob was out of school for three days. And when he dared to show his face on Friday, he was sporting a reverse Mohawk down the center of his Jewfro, and his two black eyes were barely visible past his glasses that had been snapped in two pieces and taped back together with hot pink duct tape. When the girls mentioned it, Mike just smirked and said, "Let's just say Jacob will think twice about messing with _this_ secret orgy cult again!"

Rachel sighed remembering the week's events as she pulled into the parking space in front of Nail Love. She was cashing in on her manicure and pedicure from Santana, Brittany, and Quinn. Then, she and the girls were going to meet Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt at the mall for lunch and dress shopping. Even though it was going to be just them at their "prom," the girls (and Kurt) insisted on still wearing dressy clothes and forcing the boys to look at least presentable. Rachel was very excited for her girls' day, although she was kind of sad over not seeing Puck. She knew it was stupid and girly, but it was the first weekend in a long time they hadn't spent any time together. She promised her dads they could go together and look for some flowers for the house, so she wouldn't get to see him tomorrow either. She pouted, but she was glad that Puck was going to be spending the weekend at Finn's. A few weeks ago was the first time Puck had been over to Finn's since everything had gone down. He told Rachel it was pretty awkward at first, but soon enough they were shooting up zombies and street fighting and whatever else guys do on video games just like old times. The boys had been hanging out a little more at school too. In fact, Finn and Quinn were riding in Rachel's car with her and Puck to the mini-prom they were going to be allowed to have the Sunday after Regionals. Rachel knew Puck was glad to have his friend back even if he didn't make a big deal about it. It meant more to him than he let on.

"Rachel! Hi!" Brittany exclaimed when the brunette walked up to meet the girls in front of the nail salon.

"Hello everyone," Rachel said politely. She liked the Cheerios much more now, but she had never hung out with them by herself before. She was more than a little nervous.

"Hey girl," Santana said, surprisingly cheerful, "you ready to be pampered?"

"Yes, quite ready," Rachel sighed. "This week was so long. I cannot believe Regionals are next week either. I know we're ready, but Vocal Adrenaline is superior in every aspect of performing," she went on. Then, as if she just realized everything on their plates, she rushed on, becoming more panicked as she spoke, "I am just so worried that our choreography won't be intricate enough. I know our vocals will be fine, but what if something similar to the Sectionals debacle happens? I don't know if–"

"Whoa, slow down, Rachel," Quinn calmed her. "You need to chill out."

"Yeah, Rach, this day's about relaxing," Brittany added. "No worrying today, okay?"

"They're right, Rachel," Santana patted her on the shoulder. "We're going to kick major tail at Regionals, but today? Today is about us. We're going to go in there, pretty our tootsies and fingers up, and then we're going to the mall."

"Yeah!" Brittany squealed. "We're going to eat a calorie-filled lunch, but after you all try on dresses so you won't feel all bloaty and junk." Her thousand-watt smile made Rachel giggle.

"You girls are absolutely right," Rachel conceded. "No Glee talk today. Just fun."

"Yay!" Brittany clapped and jumped up and down in place before looping her arm through Rachel's and led her through the door.

The girls were fortunate enough to come to the salon at a slow time so they were all able to sit together in the spa chairs next to one another. Rachel was in between Brittany and Quinn, with Santana on the end beside Brittany. The nail technicians looked a little worried when the Cheerios came in; apparently the girls used to be snobby and rude to the workers, and this was the first time they'd come in since their attitude adjustments. The girls were like new people the technicians didn't even recognize.

The conversation was easy. They spoke of boys, school, and their plans for summer vacation. Quinn was still staying with Brittany for the time being, but she was considering moving into the spare room in Miss Pillsbury's house. She didn't feel right going back to Finn's after everything, and she couldn't entertain the thought of going back to her hypocritical parents' home, even though they offered. Brittany's family was nice, but Quinn didn't want to impose on them anymore. The Glee club planned on moving Quinn's stuff the weekend after Regionals.

"What are you doing for summer, Santana?" Rachel asked the Latina.

"My parents are taking me and my brother to Santa Ana for a few weeks. We have relatives there," she replied. "That's where I was born; it's how I got my name actually."

"Oh, Santa Ana…Santana," Quinn said slowly. "How interesting! I never knew that, San."

The cheerleader smiled and shrugged. They moved into comfortable silence as they decided what colors to get on their toes. Rachel noticed Brittany looking intently at the water swirling around her feet.

"Did you know? Dolphins are really just gay sharks," Brittany said sagely.

Quinn, Rachel, and Santana swung their heads toward the blonde. The technicians painting Brittany's toes knitted her eyebrows in deep thought before trying to stifle a snicker.

Santana leaned over to Brittany, and laid a hand on Brittany's arm. "Usually I regret asking this," she said, winking to the other girls, "but what exactly brought that up?"

"I don't know," Brittany shrugged. "I was just looking at the water and thinking," she deadpanned.

Quinn bit her lip in attempts not to laugh; Santana just rolled her eyes. It was Rachel who burst out in laughter. The other three looked at her in surprise. They had never seen Rachel so carefree than at that moment. It was enough to send Quinn and Santana into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Brittany was confused as to why everyone laughing, but that didn't stop her from joining in the merriment. Those who were painting the girls' nails just smiled and shook their heads in confusion.

* * *

"What are the girls doing today?" Finn asked around a slice of pizza.

"Rachel said she was going with Quinn, Santana, and Brittany to some nail place, then they were going dress shopping," Puck replied after taking a swig of soda.

Finn nodded thoughtfully. They had been playing some old-school _Mortal Kombat_ all day before they decided to order pizza and invite the rest of the guys over. The conversation had been minimal, but it was comfortable.

"So, it's cool that we're hanging out again," Finn said suddenly.

Puck wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question, but he decided to respond anyway. "Yeah. Yeah, it is," he smirked.

Finn grinned at Puck and then tossed the game controller to him as he heard the other guys' cars pull up.

* * *

"Okay ladies, it is time to scour the stores for fantastic sales and undeniable fashion," Kurt announced to the girls who met just inside the mall.

"Department stores first," Santana instructed. "Britt and I found ours there, and some were really cheap."

They headed toward JC Penney, chattering idly as they walked in and immediately ravaged the dress racks. Kurt started shoving dresses into each girl's arms and directed them to the dressing rooms. Santana, Brittany, and Quinn had already bought their dresses, but they were more than happy to help zip dresses and give helpful critiques. The rest of the afternoon was filled with giggles and dress-switching.

Three hours, seven pretzels, and numerous dresses later, Rachel was sipping her lemonade and watching Tina and Mercedes twirl around in the dresses they were trying on when she got a text message from Puck. Smiling, she flipped open her phone.

**Noah: **[I know you're busy with the girls, but I just wanted to tell you this:]

Rachel was confused for just a second, but the second text came in.

**Noah:** [You're beautiful.]

Rachel held back a sigh when a third text came in.

**Noah:** [It's true. See you Monday. ;)]

The others had heard Rachel sigh and peeked around the corner to find Rachel with a silly smile on her face.

"Puck," Kurt said knowingly. "Only he could put a look like that on her face."

The rest of the group just sighed and giggled. When Rachel heard them, her head shot up, and she flushed and ducked her head. The other girls fluttered their fingers in a wave to her as she sunk farther in her chair. Rachel knew she still had a cheesy grin on her face. She was just having so much fun. She truly never thought she would ever have such an amazing boyfriend or such great friends. It was more than she could ever imagine or hope for.

* * *

**AN2: I have done my best to try to tie up any loose ends, but if you guys think anything that I haven't taken care of or that you would like to see, please let me know and I will see about fitting them in!**

**AN3: Also, I was wondering something: Do you like 'Long Time Coming" enough to nominate them for a Glee Fanfic award? If you do, head on over to this site: ( http :// community . livejournal . com/ gleeawards/ ) and find out how you can nominate it. You have until May 15th to submit your nominations. I would be so honored! :o)**

**AN4: Please don't forget to vote on my poll if you haven't yet! :o)  
**

**So, I just wanted to take a few seconds of your time to thank you SO much for the support you guys have given me! LTC may be coming to a close, but you guys have stuck with it and I truly appreciate you loyal readers! I read every single review, and they really make my day. Please, if you don't mind, take a few seconds and leave me a note about how you've liked or disliked this chapter or any part of this story! R&R = Love! :o)  
**


	26. Regionals, Here We Come!

**AN: This is a long author's note. Be prepared. So, you know how sometimes you have things you want in a chapter, and you know how it's supposed to end, but you can't quite get it there? And so the chapter kind of writes itself? Yeah, this was one of those chapters. I picked out songs for Regionals at the very beginning of this story, and**** it almost weirded me out how my own writing shaped this chapter before I even got to it. Way in the beginning of this story, ****I actually ****revised ****the song that they will perform (the one I hinted about in last few chapters), and really wanted to use it so I knew this would be the place. **

** I know a lot of you don't like to read performances, but I would love it if you want to follow along with New Directions' "remixed" song! I used the Broadway version instead of the movie version (you'll understand what I mean when you get to it ;) lol) So go to youtube: /watch?v=eLyCLd3cN78 (there is some dialogue so if you want to skip it, start at the beginning and then skip to 2:47 and then to 4:43) See if you can spot the other reason I chose this song! wink, wink  
**

**Link for pictures of Regionals' outfits are on my profile, along with the link to my Glee at the Grove pics from LA! :o) Oh, and my Glee audition link is there too if you want to check it out and give me a gold star! hint, hint! ;o) Oh, and I'll be posting pictures of the Prom dresses when I post that chapter!  
**

**Please R&R! :o)**

**Song keys: **_Rachel's solo_,** _Everyone in the group song, _**_and other solos will be indicated_.

_**

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Chapter 26: **__**Regionals, Here We Come!**_

"Okay, guys, let's load up the bus," Mr. Schue instructed the members of New Directions at six a.m. Saturday morning. "We have to be in Cincinnati by nine."

Groaning, the kids sleepily trudged onto the bus, not really looking forward to the two-hour drive. They understood leaving early in order to account for traffic, but it was way too early, and Mr. Schuester was way too chipper.

"Here," Rachel said, handing Puck a thermos as she slid into the seat next to him. "Throat coat tea."

"Thanks, babe," Puck smiled, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "You always come prepared."

"This is our big moment, Noah," Rachel assured him. "One must always be prepared. I only wish I had more thermoses for everyone."

Puck chuckled at her Mama Bear instincts; she was always thinking of how to make the team better. Rachel grinned at Puck then settled into her seat and calmly sipped her tea. She glanced around at everyone on the bus. Mercedes and Kurt were carefully hanging the costume bags in the back, while Brittany and Santana were happily chatting with Mike and Matt. Puck was amused as he observed Rachel watching everyone.

"You don't seem as nervous this time around," he mentioned, referring to her extreme case of the jitters during Sectionals.

"I am nervous, but I am trying to keep my butterflies at bay," Rachel admitted. "I want us to do really well today, Noah," she whispered.

"I know you do, babe," he whispered back. "And we will be great. I promise."

She gently leaned into his side, and Puck threw his arm around her so his hand settled at her waist, gently rubbing circles on her hipbone.

The bus ride was easily made and fairly quiet. Everyone was excited, but they did their best to channel their energies in productive ways. They talked and laughed, but they didn't want to sing in fear of straining their voices. Rachel insisted they have time to warm up and do their scales when arriving at the venue. Mr. Schuester agreed, knowing they would have time between each school's performances.

When they arrived at the Aronoff Center of the Arts, the members of New Directions grabbed their things and helped unload the bus. They herded themselves and their costumes inside, and Mr. Schue went to register the group. While he was gone, Rachel decided to fill up her Nalgene water bottle.

As she bent over the water fountain, she felt more than saw someone sidling up beside her. When she looked up, Rachel stood face-to-face with a handsome teenage boy.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, a little flustered at the boy's closeness.

"Hey," the boy said smoothly.

He casually leaned against the wall next to Rachel, and it finally registered to her who exactly he was.

"You're Jesse St. James," Rachel said unblinking.

"And you're Rachel Berry," he countered effortlessly. He righted himself, crossed his arms, and made no effort to hide his predatory gaze as he raked his eyes over her tiny frame. "I saw your performances at Sectionals," he said. "Your group's version of 'Somebody to Love' lacked Queen's theatricality and heart, but it was mediocre at best. You alone carried the vocals. A tad sharp at times, but overall very talented."

Rachel was more unnerved at his leer, but was also caught off guard by his harsh words. She quickly pasted on the brightest smile she could. "Are your backhanded compliments meant to 'psych me out' as you would say colloquially? Because if so, they won't work," she bit out.

She turned to leave, but he caught her arm.

"Feisty. I like it," Jesse said smirking, although his was nothing compared to the one Puck had perfected. "So, you wanna go out sometime?"

Rachel looked at this boy's attempted debonair look and almost snorted. She would have done it too had she not thought it was highly unladylike to do so. But still, the obviously-fake suave look on Jesse's face was enough to make her let out a single bark of disbelieving laughter. She mustered a Puck-inspired smirk for Jesse. "Thanks but no thanks. I have a boyfriend," she said, proudly pointing out Puck who was joking with Artie.

"The cripple?" Jesse scoffed.

Rachel barely restrained herself from slapping him. "No, the tall, dark, handsome Mohawked one," she said snidely, borrowing Kurt's nickname for her boyfriend. "And I would appreciate it if you would refrain from using such derogatory and politically incorrect terms when referring to my friends. I would hate to report you to the ACLU," she mocked, "but I wouldn't hesitate to do it. Now if you'll excuse me."

And with that, Rachel flounced toward her group, leaving a stunned, yet slightly impressed, Jesse St. James in her wake.

Rachel took three deep breaths before fully integrating with the group again. She gave herself a moment to praise her own acting skills for showing Jesse that his words had not affected her, but the truth was they _had _affected her. She was flustered and now worried about hitting notes she had never agonized over before. Puck noticed her hesitancy and smiled as he pulled her closer. She gave him a weak smile as Mr. Schue came back from registering their group.

"Okay, well group, seems like we have chosen the last slot again," he said carefully.

Everyone blanched at Mr. Schue's announcement.

"Mr. Schue, that's not fair!"  
"Why do they hate us so much?"  
"I think it's rigged."  
"This sucks!"

The responses overlapped in a chaotic way. Everyone talked at the same time, and no one knew what the other was saying. One reaction was the same: no one was happy about it.

"Oh, and did I mention? I gave our set list to Vocal Adrenaline," Puck joked above the noise, trying to lighten the mood.

The group chuckled nervously at his poor attempt at humor. No one wanted to go through the Sectionals debacle again.

"Honestly, Noah, that ill-fitted joke is not even remotely funny! Don't you have any sense?!" Rachel huffed, pulling away from Puck's grasp and taking a few steps away from the group.

"Aww, I was just kidding, Rach," he whined, reaching for her again.

She turned away from his touch, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Babe, I said I was kidding," Puck reiterated. She'd never pulled away from his touch before, and it hurt him more than he cared to admit.

"Noah, now is not the time for jokes," she snapped.

There it was: irritation flooded his body as he spoke. "Oh, well _excuse me _for trying to lighten the mood," he said sarcastically. "The tension in this room is thicker than any knife could cut. I was making. A. Joke," he bit out, emphasizing every word carefully. "We're all nervous, but you don't have to snap on me," he said, irritation gone and hurt resurfaced.

Tears pooled in Rachel's eyes as she bit her lip at that realization. She hadn't meant to snap on him. She was just so nervous. Still, she shouldn't have taken it out on him.

"I'm sorry, Noah. Truly I am," she apologized. She moved closer to wrap her arms around Puck's waist. "It's just I ran into the male lead of Vocal Adrenaline, and he said some unnerving things," she said.

Puck stiffened. "What kind of unnerving things?" he demanded to know.

"Immature things, really. I just let them get the best of me," she explained. "I really didn't mean to snap at you," she repeated, bringing her hands to cup his cheeks and pulling his face toward hers. Their lips met in a sweet kiss.

"It's okay. I get it. This is all really important to you," he soothed. "What did that douchebag say to you though? Do I need to go rough him up a bit?" he winked, although he was boiling inside that someone's words hurt Rachel like that.

Rachel replayed the conversation between her and Jesse as Puck listened, growing more upset by the second.

"You know that he was just making those things up, right?" he questioned. She nodded, and Puck continued, "Baby, you are the most talented out here. Not just in our group, but over all those schools combined."

"Thank you, Noah," she beamed, hugging him tightly once more. "I'm okay now."

"I can still beat him up if you want me to," he offered, quirking his eyebrows.

"Noah, we can't risk getting disqualified," Rachel sighed.

Puck smirked at the fact that, for the first time, Rachel hadn't immediately shot down his urge to solve a problem with violence. Then, as if she interpreted his grin, she shook her head and smiled.

"I know what's going on in that head of yours. And, no, you may not use your fists to deal with this after the performances either," she reproached.

"You are no fun," he pouted.

"That's not what you said last night," she said before winking and sauntering off to talk to Mercedes and Tina.

Puck's jaw dropped at Rachel's boldness, as he watched her walk away, shaking her hips with a distinct amount of sway.

* * *

There were five schools from across Ohio and the surrounding areas that had come together to battle for a trip to Nationals. After they watched Vocal Adrenaline perform their impressive set as the fourth school to perform, the kids of New Directions were preparing themselves to go onstage last.

The girls were dressed in green strapless dresses with sweetheart necklines and black satin sashes at their waists. The boys had on green dress shirts of the same shade as the girls' dresses and black vests over them. They made nervous chatter while dressing, but it was clear everyone was on edge. It seemed like everything anyone said was taken out of context and people were getting their feelings hurt. Mr. Schue commented on Mercedes' new hairstyle, and she freaked that everyone would be able to tell it was a weave. Then, as Puck flipped up his collar, Rachel immediately flattened it back down.

"But the collars on these stupid shirts are itchy," Puck whined.

"Stop complaining, Puck. I worked very hard on these costumes," Kurt bristled.

"I never said you didn't work hard, Hummel," Puck said through gritted teeth.

Kurt just crossed his arms and pouted to Mercedes who was frantically trying to fix her hair.

Suddenly, Matt spoke up, "I don't feel well. I think I'm kinda nervous."

"Did you eat anything this morning, Matthew?" Rachel asked diplomatically.

"Sure, we had cereal for breakfast," Brittany claimed.

"You had milk!?" Rachel screeched. "Brittany, do you know what dairy does to your vocal cords!?"

Brittany's eyes widened in surprise at Rachel's outburst. The group gasped at the fact someone had yelled at sweet Brittany of all people, but they were too in shock to say anything. Mr. Schuester looked like he wanted to step in and say something, but Miss Pillsbury laid a hand on his arm.

"Hold on. Let them handle this, Will," she whispered. "They'll be fine."

"I-I'm sorry, Rachel," Brittany sniffed. "I didn't mean to."

Rachel immediately softened and regretted raising her voice.

"No, Brittany, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you," Rachel apologized. The blonde smiled softly at her; Brittany was never one to hold a grudge.

Santana, on the other hand, was not as forgiving. "Damn straight, you're sorry, Manhands! You better think twice before yelling at my best friend!" she yelled.

Santana's words stung Rachel to the core. Santana hadn't used that cruel nickname in so long. It was not what she expected from her new friend.

"Santana, stop it! Rachel already apologized to Brittany!" Quinn stood up for Rachel.

"Whatever, Ice Queen, stay out of it," Santana sniped. "Just because you got your perfect little life back, doesn't mean you act like so pure and holy anymore."

Everyone's eyes were darting back and forth at the fight that was growing between them. Now, Finn was the one to get upset.

"Don't talk about Quinn that way!" Finn yelled, stalking toward Santana.

"Hey, back up off my girlfriend, dude," Mike warned, stepping between Finn and Santana.

"Why don't you learn to control her then?" Finn accused, nose to nose with Chang.

"Say that to me again, Hudson!" Mike shouted in Finn's face.

Before anyone could say another word to escalate the arguments, a shrill whistle shot through the air. Everyone turned and saw Tina with two fingers in her mouth, poised and ready to whistle again if need be.

"Stop it! Everyone!" she commanded sharply. Once she knew she had the room's attention, she continued. "Don't you see what's happening, what they're trying to do? They're trying to tear us apart from the inside out."

Tina didn't have to clarify who _they _were; Rachel had explained to the group what Jesse had said to her after she and Puck had returned to the group after their slight argument.

"Jesse's words did exactly what he wanted them to do. Rachel was put on edge which filtered to us," Tina glanced around the room to make sure everyone was still listening. "Guys, it doesn't matter if it's Coach Sylvester or Jesse or anyone else too concerned with the 'social hierarchy' of our school, we're always going to be fighting a losing battle when it comes to being a team, and more importantly, friends. But look at how far we've come."

Everyone looked around the room at each other. Tina's words were true. They never expected to become friends through everything, but here they were. And they had just been _thisclose _to throwing it all away.

"Tina is right," Artie spoke up. "Don't let them ruin this for us now."

Each person looked ashamed and humbled by Tina's lecture. They all began mumbling apologies and hugging it out. Puck clapped Hummel on his back and complimented the costumes. Finn and Mike shook hands after murmuring their _sorry_s. After a tearful exchange with Quinn, Santana walked up timidly to Rachel. The tiny brunette couldn't help but steel herself for Santana's words just in case.

"Look, Rachel, I'm sorry," the Latina said sincerely. Rachel let out a sigh that she wouldn't be getting another verbal assault.

"It's all right, Santana. You were defending your best friend," Rachel accepted.

"Yeah, but I made a promise to myself awhile ago that I would never call you those awful names again, and I broke that promise. I'm really sorry," Santana explained.

Rachel smiled graciously at her and pulled the Cheerio into a hug. "Thank you, Santana. I forgive you. Let's just be friends again."

"Absolutely," Santana giggled.

Mr. Schuester let out a sigh, and Miss Pillsbury looked pleased at the group's maturity in the end. She smiled at Will, and he grinned in return. "Okay, guys, let's do some scales."

* * *

The members of New Directions waited nervously in the wings as the announcer directed everyone back to their seats. This was it. It was the moment they had prepared so long for, the moment no one was sure they'd ever make it to. Yet, here they were. A rush of excitement coursed through Rachel's body, but she immediately relaxed as she felt Puck's strong hands kneading the tight muscles in her shoulders.

"You are going to make us all proud," he whispered close to her skin, for her ears only.

She smiled before turning into his embrace. "Thank you, Noah," she whispered, leaning up to place a firm kiss on his lips. He grasped her waist tighter as he deepened the kiss quickly before they had to go onstage. He knew he was risking Kurt admonishing him for messing with Rachel's lipstick or Rachel reprimanding him for stealing her breath before she had a solo to sing, but he didn't care. Thankfully, "Unwritten" was the first song in their set, so Rachel couldn't complain too much. He grinned cheekily as he pulled away from the steamy kiss. Rachel's eyes were glazed over, and her lipstick was definitely smudged.

"Wow," she whispered.

Puck smirked cockily. "Well, a 'wow' is better than 'Noah, I can't believe you would kiss me like that before we have to go onstage!'" he mimicked.

"Well, I was actually getting to that," Rachel grinned slyly, "but seeing as how you know me so well, I'll spare you the lecture." She glanced around and saw that everyone else was preoccupied with their own nerves and conversations. "If you kiss me again," she added huskily.

Needing no more encouragement, Puck took hold of Rachel's chin between his thumb and forefinger, leading her lips slowly toward his mouth, giving her a sweet, lingering kiss. "I'll kiss you anytime you want," he winked.

Rachel opened her mouth to speak when the announcer's voice rang out, "And for our last group of the afternoon, please welcome William McKinley High School's New Directions!"

As Tina, Santana, Mercedes, and Quinn filed onstage, Rachel scurried to her bag to reapply her lipstick. The rest of the group wasn't going out until the middle of the song, so she had a little time. Rachel watched as Tina and Santana sang their hearts out on the first verses and the chorus. Mercedes and Quinn took the second pair of verses and the chorus. They danced around as the rest of New Directions gathered onstage to sing the remaining choruses like the choir did on Natasha Bedingfield's original track. They completed a few lifts and spins while they sang; to end the song, Tina, Santana, Mercedes, and Quinn stepped forward while the others held their poses and sang the last line in harmony: _The rest is still unwritten_.

The crowd cheered wildly as everyone but Rachel left the stage so she could sing her solo. She was so glad Mr. Schue had picked an Idina Menzel song for her; behind Barbra, Idina was her biggest contemporary idol. Puck caught Rachel's eye as she positioned herself at center stage. He winked and gave her two thumbs up in encouragement. She gave him a secret grin before turning toward the audience. As the music began, she took a deep breath and beamed at the judges as she began to sing

_When you asked me who I am  
What is my vision?  
And do I have a plan?  
Where is my strength?  
Have I nothing to say?  
I hear the words in my head  
But I push them away._

_'Cause I stand for the power to change,  
I live for the perfect day.  
I love till it hurts like crazy.  
I hope for a hero to save me._

She stood a little straighter at those lines, and Puck's heart filled with pride.

_I stand for the strange and lonely.  
I believe there's a better place.  
I don't know if the sky is heaven,  
But I pray anyway.  
_

The other Glee kids swayed from their spaces in the wings as they watched their star work her magic.

_And I don't know what tomorrow brings  
The road less traveled  
Will it set us free?  
Cause we're taking it slow  
These tiny legacies.  
I don't try and change the world,  
But what will you make of me?  
_

_'Cause I stand for the power to change,  
I live for the perfect day.  
I love till it hurts like crazy,  
I hope for a hero to save me.  
I stand for the strange and lonely,  
I believe there's a better place.  
I don't know if the sky is heaven,  
But I pray anyway.  
_

Her voice grew in power as she went into the bridge. Rachel was struck by the meaning of the words she sang, especially after what had happened earlier.  
_  
With the slightest of breezes  
We fall just like leaves  
As the rain washes us from the ground  
We forget who we are  
We can't see in the dark  
And we quickly got lost in the crowd_

_I stand for the power to change,  
I live for the perfect day.  
I love till it hurts like crazy,  
I hope for a hero to save me._

She glanced at Puck who was grinning from ear to ear. She nodded to him and finished the song strong.

_I stand for the power to change,  
I live for the perfect day.  
I love till it hurts like crazy,  
I hope for a hero to save me.  
I stand for the strange and lonely,  
I believe there's a better place.  
I don't know if the sky is heaven,  
But I pray anyway. _

She held the final note as the crowd came to their feet in applause. Rachel felt at home in that moment, like she was meant to do this every day for the rest of her life. And maybe one day, she would.

"Are you guys ready for the final song?" Mr. Schue whispered excitedly as the audience gave Rachel her proper ovation.

"You're sure that we can do this song the way we revised it?" Artie asked nervously.

"I have the utmost faith in you all," Mr. Schue said sincerely. "Now go out there and make me even prouder than I already am!"

Each member happily gave Mr. Schue a high-five as they took their places back onstage for their final song.

As the song started, Puck grabbed Rachel's hand and sang directly to her.

**Puck**  
_Once I was a selfish fool  
Who never understood  
I never looked inside myself  
Though on the outside, I looked good!  
_

He turned out with a smirk and a wink to the audience, who just ate it up.

_Then we met and you made me  
The man I am today  
Rach, I'm so in awe of you  
Every single day  
'Cause... _

_**Without**__** love**_

**Quinn**  
_Life is like the seasons with no summer _

_**Without **__**love**_

**Finn**  
_Life is rock 'n' roll __without__ a drummer _

**Puck **sang spinning Rachel out and dipping her.  
_Rachel, I'll be yours forever  
'Cause I never wanna be _

_**Without **__**lo-o-o-ove**_

**Puck**  
_Rachel, never set me free _

**Boys**  
_No, I ain't lyin'_  
**Girls**_  
Never set me free, baby_

_**No, no, n-o-o-o!! **_

The pairs did some swing moves, and Rachel picked up the next verse.

**Rachel**  
_Once I was a geeky girl  
Wishing stardom to come to me  
But I was still a nothing  
Though eleven kids may disagree _

_**Rachel!**_  
The group sang with jazz hands aimed at Rachel.

**Rachel**  
_Fame might be a prison  
Signing autographs a bore  
Of that I didn't have a clue  
Till you came banging on my door _

_**That w**__**ithout **__**love**_

**Mike **sang with an uneasy look.  
_Life is like my dad with a combover_

_**Without**__** love**__**  
**_  
**Santana **fanned herself and waggled her eyebrows as she sang.  
_Life is making out with Tony Romo!_

**Rachel**  
_Darling, I'll be yours forever  
'Cause I never wanna be _

_**Without**__** lo-o-o-ove**_

**Rachel**  
_So darling, throw away the key_

**Girls**  
_I'm yours forever_**  
Boys**  
_Throw away the key_

_**Yeah, yeah, ye-e-eah!**_

As they danced around with groovy '60s moves, Matt and Brittany took front and center.

**Matt**  
_Living in the ghetto  
Black is everywhere ya go  
Who'd have thought I'd __love__ a girl  
With skin as white as winter's snow_

**Brittany**  
_In my ivory tower  
Life was just a hostess snack  
But now I've tasted chocolate  
And I'm never going back_

_**'Cause w**__**ithout**__** love**_**  
**  
**Artie **sang while popping wheelies.  
_Life is like a beat that you can't follow_

_**Without **__**love**_

**Tina **shook her head in shame as she sang.  
_Life is Britney Spears at the Apollo_

**Matt**  
_Darling, I'll be yours forever  
'Cause I never wanna be _

_**Without**__** lo-o-o-ove**_

**Brittany**  
_So, Baby, never set me free_

**Girls**  
_I'm yours forever _  
**Boys**  
_Never set me free  
_  
_**No, no, n-o-o-o!**_

As they sang, the group boxed in Rachel and Brittany back-to-back while they circled around them so that Puck and Matt couldn't get to their girls.

**Puck**  
_If you're locked up on this stage here, Rach  
I don't know what I'll do_

**Rachel**  
_Puck, I've got to break out  
So that I can get my hands on you_

**Matt**  
_And girl, if I can't touch you now  
I'm gonna lose control_

**Brittany**  
_Matt, you are my black white knight  
I've found my blue-eyed soul_

The group raised up their fists in unison.

_**Sweet vict'ry is our goal!**_

**Puck**  
_Rach, I wanna kiss ya!_

**Rachel**  
_I can't wait till curtains close!_

Puck and Matt playfully pushed everyone out of the way to get to their girls.

_**'Cause **__**without**__** love**_

**Artie **laughed at how true this line was.  
_Life is like a prom that won't invite us_

_**Without **__**love**_

**Kurt **swooned with his hand on his forehead.  
_Life's getting my big break and laryngitis_

_**Without**__** love**__  
_  
**Quinn **shrugged helplessly.  
_Life's an mp3 when you can't buy it _

_**Without**__** love**_

**Mercedes **pointed to herself in jest.  
_Life is like...ME on a diet!_

_**Like a week that's only Mondays  
Only ice cream never sundaes  
Like a circle with no center  
Like a door marked "Do not enter!"  
**_  
**Boys**  
_Darling, I'll be yours forever _  
**Girls**  
_'Cause I never wanna be... _

_**Without**__** lo-o-o-ove**_

**Mike and Santana**  
_Yes now you've captured me  
_  
_**Without **__**lo-o-o-ove**_

**Quinn and Finn**  
_I surrender happily _

_**Without**__** lo-o-o-ove**_

**Tina**_  
Oh Artie!  
Never set me free  
_  
_**No, no, no  
**_  
**Artie**  
_No, I ain't lyin' _

**Mercedes and Kurt**  
_Never set me free _

_**No, no, no!**_  
_**No, I don't wanna live **__**without**_

**Brittany and Rachel**  
_Love__, __love__, __love_!  
**  
Matt and Puck**  
_Yeah, yeah, yeah_!

_**Darling, you had best believe me,  
Never leave me  
Without**__** love**__**!**_

They all spun around, and the girls jumped into the boys' waiting arms on the last line. The crowd made a ruckus in their applause as New Directions took their bows and exited the stage.

The kids barely waited to get off the stage before launching themselves at each other in hugs and kisses. The adrenaline was high in the green room as Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury praised their amazing performances. They were so relieved to be done, but now they had to wait until the results.

* * *

Rachel sat nervously between Puck and Quinn, bobbing her knees in anticipation. As if they had planned it, Puck and Quinn reached over and put a hand on each of Rachel's knees. She immediately stopped bouncing and turned to her two friends in surprise at their synchronism. They shook their heads, once again in perfect unison, and smiled at her, causing Rachel to fall into a fit of giggles which Quinn soon joined in. Puck rolled his eyes at the two, and shushed them playfully when the announcer made his way onto the stage for the results.

The announcer droned on about team spirit and flair, and it was clear that all the groups were getting antsy. He named the third, fourth, and fifth place winners, and New Directions was not among them. That meant one thing: they were either in first or second place. Much like they had done during Sectionals, they grabbed hands down the line until everyone's fingers were intertwined and squeezed tightly.

"We thank you all for joining us today," he said professionally. "As you know, there can only be one winning group. This group has shown exemplary talent in vocals as well as choreography."

"Get on with already," Finn muttered, to which Puck leaned around Rachel and Quinn to give him a fist bump and a smirk.

"The group we have chosen to be in first place showed high levels of originality and creativity with their performances, so I must declare that the winner of this year's Regional Show Choir competition, and therefore heading to Nationals, is…" the announcer trailed off purposefully, "William McKinley's New Directions!"

"We won!"  
"This is fantastic!"  
"Can you believe it!?"

Every member had a different response, but one emotion rang true: pure joy.

As Mr. Schue ran up to collect their trophy, Puck hauled Rachel into his arms and kissed her hard on the mouth. She hung onto the collar of his shirt as she kissed him back with just as much force. Neither one cared they were standing in the middle of their row while the other kids crowded around Mr. Schue onstage. They finally parted when air became necessary and the wolf whistles and Brittany's _meow_-ing flooded their ears even through the noise of the auditorium. But they didn't move from their spot; they stood holding one another as if no one else existed.

For that moment, time stopped as they stared into each other's eyes. And it was just the two of them, smiling and laughing over the happiness they were excited to be sharing with each other.

* * *

**AN2: Songs: "Unwritten" (Natasha Bedingfield--mentioned), "I Stand" (Idina Menzel), "Without Love" (_Hairspray_, Broadway Version--2010 remix by me! ;o) lol)**

**AN3: Okay, without trying to _brag_...Can I just tell you guys how awesome and exciting it is to see how the couple name I made up for Jesse and Rachel on the Glee wiki (St. Berry) is being used on the fanfic site too??! Don't believe me? Check out the thread I made two weeks before we even met Jesse :o) **http:// gleewiki . fox . com/thread/3822313/couple+name+for+Rachel+and+Jesse **So yeah, I don't want it to sound like I'm bragging, and I'm sorry if it does, but that is really cool to me and I had to share it with y'all! lol :o)**

**AN4: I just wanted to say that I love each and every one of you guys! Thank you so much for your support through this crazy adventure! I'd really love to get to 500 reviews before this story closes...I know it's possible! Please help me get there! ****Remember, R&R = Love! :o)**


	27. Dancing in the Moonlight

**AN: *falls to knees and begs forgiveness* I am SO sorry for not updating in so long! I have a (sorta) good excuse! "Long Time Coming has ****been nominated for Best Work in Progress for the 2010 Glee Awards over at community . livejournal . com / gleeawards (take out spaces)! **

**I am SO excited and honored! There are a lot of amazing writers up for awards! ****The reason I haven't updated in so long is because since I'm up for an award in the Works in Progress category, I didn't feel right about posting my last chapter before awards were given (since it would make it a completed story). Anywho, I decided after I got through the nominating and seconding process that I could split the last chapter into two so that I wouldn't keep you guys waiting any longer than I have. (Have I mentioned that I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update? ;) lol)**

**Anyway, I would LOVE for you to vote for LTC as Best Work in Progress! You can go to the site listed above and follow the directions there. You can also e-mail your votes to ****gleeawards (at) gmail . com (don't know why the 'at' symbol won't work)** **I would encourage you to check out the other works and writers that are nominated! (It might even give you some more awesome stories to read!)**

**p.s. The link to pics of everyone's prom outfits is on my profile! Oh, what the heck, why don't I just put it here ;) ****http:/ /s14. photobucket . com / albums / a345 / crzydramachick04 / GLEELongTimeComing/ (sorry for all the spaces to take out)**

**Thanks again for reading Long Time Coming (and this terribly verbose Author's Note)! Now, on to the chapter! Please read and review! :o)  
**

_**

* * *

Chapter 27: Dancing in the Moonlight**_

"_Kiss me out of the bearded barley,"_ Rachel sang as she twirled the last piece of hair around her curling iron. _"Nightly, beside the green, green grass. Swing, swing, swing the spinning step. You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress,"_ she dreamily sang as she stopped in front of her sapphire blue dress to finger the satin material._  
_

_Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight  
Lead me out on the moonlit floor  
Lift your open hand  
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance  
Silver moon sparkling  
So kiss me_

As she sang, she spun around the room, so excited for Glee club's private prom. Noah and the rest of the boys were coming over later to Rachel's house to take pictures in her big backyard. Then, they would all head over to McKinley and dance the night away.

She smiled as she envisioned how the evening would go. Noah would look so handsome in his suit, and they would dance and kiss and just enjoy being together. She sighed wistfully as she sat back down at her vanity to finish her nails.

A knock on her door pulled Rachel out of her revelry.

"Come in," she called out.

Her daddy opened the door and peeked in.

"Hi, Pumpkin, I just wanted you to know I cut a rose from the bush outside to use for Noah's boutonnière if you want to use it," he said smiling.

"Oh, Daddy, that's so sweet of you!" Rachel cooed. "I can't believe I didn't think about that!"

"Well, maybe if that principal of yours had allowed you all to have a real prom…" Ethan grumbled.

Rachel sighed as she lovingly patted Ethan on the arm. Though none of the parents was too happy about their children being relinquished to a make-shift prom, the kids assured them that it was actually better this way. They could stay as long as they pleased, and they didn't have to deal with the losers who always tried to make their lives miserable.

"Daddy, we told you all at Regionals that it didn't matter to us," Rachel reassured him.

"I know what you all said, Honey," Ethan relinquished, "but I don't have to agree with it. You Glee kids deserve a real prom too."

Rachel leaned up to kiss Ethan on the cheek. "This is why I love you, Daddy," she smiled. "You care so much about all of us, not just me."

Ethan grinned as he held his beautiful daughter at arms' length. "Your hair looks lovely, Rachel. Noah isn't going to know what hit him tonight," he teased.

Rachel blushed as she swatted at his chest. "Thank you, Daddy," she giggled.

Just then, Raymond knocked and came through the door holding a folded up piece of paper.

"I just found this in the mailbox when I was putting out the bills for tomorrow's pick up," he said, a gleam in his eye.

Rachel glanced at it, clearly puzzled. "Who is it for?"

Ray and Ethan shared a conspiratorial grin. "Well, Dear, since it's addressed to 'My Favorite Berry' complete with a Strawberry Shortcake sticker, I'd say it is for you," Ray teased.

He handed her note, then he and Ethan chuckled as they left Rachel alone to read her note. Rachel perched on her bed, careful not to sit on her legs so as not to ruin her toenail polish. She felt her face heat up as she read the note.

_Do you wanna dance under the moonlight;  
Squeeze me all through the night?  
Oh, baby, do you wanna dance?_

_Do you wanna dance and hold my hand;  
Tell me I'm your lover man?  
Oh, baby, do you wanna dance?_

_Do you wanna dance and make romance?  
__C__ome __on, pretty baby, and take a chance.  
__Hey, baby, baby, do you wanna dance?_

_p.s. I can't wait to see you tonight. I know you'll be beautiful. I'm so lucky._

_p.s.s. Don't make fun of the sticker. It was the only "berry" sticker Nina had in her stash. :)_

Rachel giggled at the notes after the song lyrics. That was just like Noah to make her swoon with his romantic side and then make a silly joke to make her laugh. Going over to her desk, she pulled out a photo book where she kept all of Noah's notes. She folded it to fit inside the slot and show all of the lyrics.

Rachel smiled again as she quickly flipped through the pages. There were so many notes they'd shared with each other in the last seven months they'd been together. They ranged from every emotion—from silly to sensual to heartfelt to honest. She was so grateful for her relationship with Noah; they had been through so much, but even with the troubles, she didn't know how she would've made it these last few months without him.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that she had spent a lot of time reminiscing and that the girls and Kurt would be here soon so they could all get ready together. She had already done her hair, but she promised Kurt as long as he didn't make her look like a sad clown hooker, he could do her makeup.

Sure enough, just as she put the book away, she heard voices downstairs. Rachel padded to the top of the stairs to see Kurt, Mercedes, Quinn, and Tina laughing and hugging her fathers.

"Hey Rach," Quinn said brightly as she climbed the stairs, dress in hand. "San just called and said she and Brittany were around the corner."

"Great!" Rachel smiled. "Let's wait for them before we head down to the basement to have more room to get ready.

"How's the lighting down there?" Kurt scrutinized.

Rachel playfully rolled her eyes. "There's plenty of natural light, but all of the rooms have good lighting as well, Kurt," she said.

"Well, I'll make that decision when I get down there," Kurt sniffed haughtily.

From behind Kurt, Tina used her index finger to circle her temple, mouthing _He's crazy_, causing Rachel and Quinn into a fit of giggles.

As they all settled in Rachel's room, Tina and Mercedes immediately set their eyes on Rachel's array of nail polishes as Kurt took out his shoes and began polishing them. Quinn began pinning up soft curls into a sweeping updo while they sang along happily to Rachel's iTunes that was playing everything from old-school N*Sync to All-American Rejects.

"Out of the way, girls," Santana said, bursting through the door, "I've got a flat iron, and I'm not afraid to use it."

"And she totally will too," Brittany nodded eagerly as she bounced on the bed beside Kurt.

Kurt leaned over and pecked Brittany on the cheek before returning his attention to his shoes. Since Santana and Brittany had arrived, they all grabbed their stuff and headed down to the basement. Then they spent the next few hours getting beautified. Brittany offered to paint Tina's toes while she painted her fingernails, and Mercedes helped Quinn reach the back pieces of her hair.

Santana and Rachel were picking out shades of eye shadow when Ethan knocked on the door with a tray of assorted sandwiches and glasses of lemonade.

"Ethan, you are officially my new favorite Berry," Santana teased as she took a long sip of lemonade.

"Hey!" Rachel cried indignantly. "Do you want to use my eye shadow that is ever so appropriately named Dance Party or not?" she threatened playfully.

Santana and Ethan shared a sly grin as Santana moved to give Rachel a side hug. "You know I'm just teasing, Rachel," she joked.

Rachel chuckled, "Oh I know that, silly girl!" as she playfully ruffled Santana's hair.

Quinn and Mercedes shared a smile from across the room, both thinking how far the two brunettes in the center of the room had come from the beginning of the year. Tina was smiling to herself thinking how far they had _all_ come.

"Well, ladies, sorry to break up this love fest," Kurt interrupted, "but the time is now four o'clock, and the boys will here at five-thirty."

"Relax, Kurt," Mercedes soothed, "we have plenty of time."

Kurt huffed and stuck his tongue out at Mercedes while the other girls simply laughed.

"Boy, you better put your tongue back in your mouth before I mess up your hair," Mercedes said menacingly, yet lovingly.

Kurt's eyebrows shot past his hairline in surprise as he promptly reeled his tongue back in, causing the rest of the girls to laugh even harder.

Around 5:10, the girls were all made up with their hair styled and ready to go. Kurt politely went upstairs to check the scenery of the backyard, which gave the girls some privacy to get in their dresses. Tina sent him a text when they were ready for him to come back.

"Gorgeous!" he gasped as he walked in, "Every single one of you!"

Brittany giggled as she flounced over to Kurt and handed him his tie. "Thanks, Kurtie," she smiled. "I told you we'd be fabulous."

"I think we all look fabulous," Tina said.

"Darn right we do," Quinn nodded, throwing her arm around Tina's shoulder.

Just then, Ray and Ethan came downstairs but before they turned the corner, Ray called out, "Can we open our eyes?"

"You're walking downstairs with your eyes closed?" Brittany panicked.

Ray chuckled good-naturedly, but before he could say anything, Rachel called back, "We're ready, Dad! Come on out!"

The girls and Kurt hurried into a line and struck a pose. Ethan and Ray gasped in surprise and appreciation. They took in Santana's hot pink strapless dress with a double tier of ruffles and Brittany's ice blue strapless dress with shimmery sequins and a bow tied on the bust. They smiled when they saw Mercedes' lavender sleeveless gown with a ruched empire waist and Tina's black and dark purple spaghetti strapped gown that had a ruffled three-tiered skirt. Then, they nodded approvingly at Quinn's peach colored strapless dress with lace overlay and tulle petticoat with a dark coral sash and Kurt's sharp tailored suit. They stopped in front of Rachel in her sapphire blue one shouldered satin dress that flowed at the waist.

"You all look beautiful," Ethan gushed. "Absolutely beautiful!"

Ray nodded in agreement as the girls and Kurt squealed in happiness. "Would you all like to take some pictures before the boys arrive?"

Everyone grabbed their cameras and purses and herded upstairs. For the next twenty minutes, Ray and Ethan were the paparazzi for them, snapping pictures left and right. They got a bunch of group pictures and single shots. The girls posed like models and gave fierce faces, then they would all do silly faces. They took some girl group shots without Kurt as well. Then, Quinn grabbed Rachel and held out the camera in a self-portrait shot, and Ethan took one of Brittany and Tina back to back. Mercedes, Kurt, and Santana busted out some Charlie's Angels poses. By the time they saw the boys drive up, they were all laughing and having a great time.

"Don't tell me you already started the party!" Mike called out as he jogged toward the girls, swiftly kissing Santana on the cheek.

Matt and Finn were close behind them, smiling broadly at the sights of their beautiful girlfriends.

"Where's Noah?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Right here," Puck smirked as he snuck up behind Rachel, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and kissing the spot just behind her ear.

Rachel let out a tiny sigh and leaned back into Puck's strong chest. "Where were you?"

"Helping Artie navigate to the backyard," he said easily.

"Oh, Artie," Rachel apologized, "I didn't even think about your chair. I feel so awful!"

"It's fine, Rachel. I've taken this thing off-roading before," he said with a wink.

Rachel sighed in relief and turned back to Puck, kissing him gently on the lips. "You look so handsome, Noah," she said shyly.

"I'm still trying to find the perfect word to describe how breathtaking you are," Puck said seriously, brushing a stray tendril away from Rachel's face.

Rachel flushed a deep shade of red, still amazed at the feelings this young man evoked in her.

"Picture time! Picture time!" Brittany clapped cheerfully.

They took a few shots of all twelve of them, some with their "dates" and some with their real boyfriends and girlfriends. While they were switching up partners, Ethan and Ray snapped candid shots of everyone laughing and interacting. They got photos of all the boys together. They all struck James Bond poses for some, and just as the girls did, they did some silly pictures. Kurt was the one who had the most pictures since he got in a few of the girls' shots as well as some of the guys' shots.

While they were getting couples' shots, Santana insisted on getting some pictures with Artie, as she hopped onto his lap. Artie blushed as Tina and Mike laughed and took pictures of them. As if they had some secret, Tina and Santana shared an inscrutable look, and they both grinned. Just then, Tina skipped behind Artie's chair, and at the same time, she and Santana planted big kisses on both of Artie's cheeks. Quinn caught the look of surprise on Artie's face perfectly.

While everyone else was occupied taking pictures, Puck quietly dragged Rachel to the side of the house. Once they were out of view, he gently backed her up against the siding and pulled her lips into a searing kiss. She moaned and blindly reached for his Mohawk to pull him closer as Puck explored her hot mouth with his tongue.

He tore his lips from hers and showered lingering kissing up her jawline to whisper huskily in her ear, "You look so beautiful, Rachel."

She was breathing heavily, chest rising up and down rapidly as she focused her hazy eyes on Puck. He didn't give her a chance to respond before claiming her lips once more. In between kisses, he whispered against her lips, "I knew I just had to get you away for just a minute before we left or I wouldn't have a chance to kiss you properly."

Rachel giggled as she laid her forehead against his and stared into his eyes. They were both smiling and talking quietly, completely wrapped up in one another, that they didn't notice Matt sneaking up with a camera. Just as Puck reached out to cup Rachel's cheek, she looked up and smiled into his eyes, a flash went off, startling them both. Rachel whipped her head around to find Matt grinning widely.

"Come on, you two, it's time to get going," he winked.

Rachel blushed again and Puck grabbed her hand as they walked to their cars. Puck, Rachel, Quinn, and Finn were all riding in Rachel's Prius while Matt, Mercedes, Kurt, and Brittany were taking Matt's explorer. Mike was driving Artie's family van with Artie, Tina, and Santana in tow. They were meeting Mr. Schuester and Miss Pillsbury at the school.

"Matthew," Rachel called out before they piled into the cars. "Did you bring it?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "it's in my car. Dad finished it up yesterday right after Regionals."

"That's perfect!" Rachel approved. "Oh, and, um," she leaned in to whisper, "I'd like a copy of that photo you took of Noah and me."

Matt smirked because little did Rachel know that Puck had just asked him for a copy while she was saying goodbye to her dads. "Sure thing, Rach," he confirmed.

"Thank you," she sighed gratefully.

Mr. Schuester and Miss Pillsbury were waiting at the door to the gym as the kids pulled up.

"Welcome, New Directions!" Mr. Schuester boomed. "Your private prom awaits you," he said as he grandly indicated the gym with a bow.

"Looking good, Mr. Schue," Santana commented sassily as they filed in. Will blushed as the girls appraised him in his very light gray suit with stark black tie.

"Miss P, you look really nice," Finn said shyly. She blushed too as the boys whistled low in appreciation. She was surprisingly chic in a white strapless dress with a wide black belt, with a simple lime green cardigan.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Is anyone hungry?"

As they ate some snacks, Will turned up the music as loud as the stereo would go. Principal Figgins had, of course, only rented the DJ and his equipment for one night, so the small stereo from Mr. Schue's apartment was the best he could do.

The group danced together as fun songs like "I'm a Believer" and "Shake It" played. They laughed when Mike challenged Mr. Schuester to a dance-off. "Down" by Jay Sean played as Miss Pillsbury and the gang watched the two guys bust a move.

Rachel was cheering them on as Puck leaned down from his place behind her and sang in her ear, _"__Baby don't worry; you are my only. You won't be lonely, even if the sky is falling down." _

Rachel turned in his arms and looped hers around his neck. "This is the best night ever," she sighed dreamily.

"Yeah, it is," Puck agreed. "Mike said we should all go to the diner for pancakes after."

"That will be fun," Rachel smiled. "And my fathers said you could stay the night since it will be late when we get home," she flirted.

Puck quirked his eyebrows wickedly. "I knew I liked your fathers for some reason," he said before dipping down to kiss Rachel's pouted lips.

They were brought out of their kiss by Kurt's voice. "Mr. Schue, we just wanted to say thank you for allowing us to come here and have our own special prom," he said, turning down the music a little bit.

"Yes," Artie agreed. "And Miss Pillsbury, thanks for supporting New Directions so much. You are like our co-director in many ways, and we really appreciate you."

The rest of the group had gathered around Will and Emma in a circle, as Matt and Mercedes brought forward two bags.

"We wanted to do something special for you, Mr. Schuester," Quinn said, "because you have taught us what Glee really is all about."

"It's about music and heart," Brittany chimed in.

"It's about friends and support," Santana smiled.

"It's about passion," Rachel spoke up.

"It's about dancing," Finn laughed as he did a crazy jig.

"It's about realizing the talent in all of us," Mike said seriously.

"And it's about allowing everyone to shine," Tina finished.

"So we had this made for you," Matt said, pulling out a plaque much like the one Glee Club's first director, Lillian Adler had.

"You are Glee Club, Mr. Schue," Mercedes said softly. "because you've taught us all who we are and who we can be."

Mr. Schuester had tears in his eyes as he looked at his plaque. It had a picture of the group with their Regionals trophy and the placard underneath read:

_If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start,  
But I, would rather you let me give my heart,  
To Sir, with Love_

_New Directions 2010_

"Guys," Will said after swallowing back tears, "this is beautiful. I can't even express my gratitude properly."

"We have something for you too, Miss Pillsbury," Mercedes piped again.

"I picked it out!" Kurt cried, as Emma pulled out a tiny pink crown with Ariel from _The Little Mermaid _on it.

"Consider yourself our prom queen," Brittany chirped, carefully placing the crown on Emma's head.

"Yeah, our very own Miss New Directions," Artie chuckled.

Emma smiled graciously at the twelve kids before her. "This is very sweet of you all. I'm honored," she said.

Everyone cheered as Mr. Schue yelled, "Let's pump the music back up!"

They laughed and danced with each other for a little while longer. Rachel was spinning around on Artie's lap as they watched Kurt, Brittany, Tina, and even the football guys perform the "Single Ladies" dance.

Finally it was time to wind the party down. "Okay," Mr. Schue called out. "We have time for one last dance. Gentlemen, grab your ladies and let's end this night right."

Puck shuffled up to Rachel and smirked, "Miss Berry, may I have this last dance?"

Rachel gingerly took his hand as he helped her up from Artie's lap.

"Why yes, you may, Mr. Puckerman," she replied with a smile.

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**AN2: Please remember, reading and reviewing=Love! :o) **

**AN3: Again, the link for Glee Awards is community . livejournal . com / gleeawards or e-mail to ****gleeawards (at) gmail . com [again, take out spaces and use the 'at' symbol for e-mail addy]  
**


	28. Epilogue: Love's Been a Long Time Coming

**AN: This is the last chapter of "Long Time Coming." Wow. I can't believe it's over. First of all, I want to thank you all SO much for your support on this story! I didn't win at the Glee awards officially, but unofficially I feel like a winner a million times over! I have the best readers/reviewers in the whole world! You guys are amazing! I truly mean that. From the bottom of my heart: I thank you. **

**One note, the song used in this chapter is "playing" at the prom. But I had to put the lyrics, because they are so prominent to the story. Song: "Long Time Coming" (go figure, huh? ;P hehehe) by Oliver James.  
**

**With that being said, on with the epilogue! Please read and review! (it is your last chance, after all! ;) lol) :o) LOVE YOU GUYS! **

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_**Epilogue: Love's Been a Long Time Coming**_

Puck gingerly took Rachel's hand and led her out to the center of the gym floor. As he held her in his arms, she sighed in contentment. Mr. Schue had picked the perfect song to end the evening, Oliver James' "Long Time Coming." Rachel was happy to listen to the words and rest her head on Puck's chest. As they swayed, Rachel smiled as Puck's fingers lightly grazed up and down her spine.

_Everybody wants to be loved_  
_Every once in a while_  
_We all need someone to hold on to_  
_Just like a helpless child_  
_Can you whisper in my ear?_  
_Let me know it's all right_

_It's been a long time coming _  
_Down this road_  
_And now I know_  
_What I've been waiting __for_  
_And like a lonely highway_  
_I'm trying to get home_  
_Oooh, love's been a long time coming_

Rachel looked around her and saw the rest of the couples dancing. Tina was perched on Artie's lap with her arms hooked around his neck. Matt and Brittany were swaying and laughing as Matt peppered kisses on Brittany's cheeks. Mike and Santana were whispering and smiling like they were the only two in the room. Mercedes and Kurt were taking turns spinning each other like ballerinas. Finn and Quinn were silent as they let their gazing eyes do the talking. Even Mr. Schue and a blushing Miss Pillsbury looked happy and content.

_You can look for a lifetime_  
_You can love for a day_  
_You can think you got everything but_  
_Everything is nothing when you throw it away_  
_Then you look in my eyes_  
_And I have it all once again_

_It's been a long time coming _  
_Down this road_  
_And now I know_  
_What I've been waiting for_  
_Just like a lonely highway_  
_I'm trying to get home_  
_Oooh, love's been a long time coming_

As Puck glided her across the floor, Rachel pondered over the events of the last school year. They had all been through a lot, but she doubted she would've made it through without Noah. Noah...the boy who started out as her enemy, grew to be a friend, and was now the boy she loved.

_Didn't know I was lost _  
_Till you found me_  
_Didn't know I was blind _  
_But now I see_

Yes, she knew she loved him; she had known for awhile now. She also knew that now was the time to say something. However, before she could say anything, Puck twirled her around, dipped her, then held her close again to his chest. She could hear and feel the steady beat of his heart as she snuggled closer to him.

_Can you whisper in my ear?_  
_Let me know it's all right_

He rested his cheek on her head and whispered, "Rach..."

"Yeah?" she whispered, back, not moving head from his chest, but snuggling closer to him and hugging him a little tighter.

"I-" he stopped when his voice cracked a little. He cleared his throat gently, then he said softly but with confidence, "I love you."

Her breath hitched in her throat as tears of joy sprang to her eyes immediately. Rachel looked up at him with gleaming eyes, and he stared back, trying to gauge her reaction. He smiled and looked down sheepishly, as if he were embarrassed he had said anything. She raised her hand to his cheek to guide his eyes back to hers. Rachel thought for sure the love swelling in her heart for him would make her burst at any time.

"I love you too, Noah," she said, with all the emotion she felt. "I have for a long time now." Then, she kissed him gently and laid her head back to its spot on his chest. She felt more than heard him sigh with contentment. She smiled as they continued to sway around the gym floor.

_It's been a long time coming _  
_Down this road_  
_And now I know_  
_What I've been searching for_  
_Been a long, long highway_  
_And now I see_  
_Oooh, love's been a long time coming_  
_Oh, been a long time_

Sure, they had plenty to talk about. She and Puck, along with Quinn and Finn, were going to visit Kaitlyn next month. Then, they'd be out of school for the summer and have to compete in Nationals in July. Then, Rachel, Puck, and her dads would be on their way to New York for two weeks. Next year, Puck would be a senior, Rachel a junior. Soon enough, they'd be discussing college and their future. But, Rachel didn't want to think about that tonight.

Tonight, she just wanted to bask in the beauty and perfection of the scene she was in right at this moment.

_Love's been a long time coming..._

_

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**The End. **_

**AN2: Some last minute things: So many people to thank, that if I tried to name them all I would surely forget someone. So, I'll keep it short and sweet: **novice242**, **sweetcaroline1986**, **chamberlainofmusic**, **PuckleberryFinn123**, **IWantToHoldYourHand**, and **Maiqu**, thank you all for reviewing practically every single chapter! Your comments and feedback kept me going! Thank you.**

**AN3: Between writing this story, I've published a lot of one-shots and a 5-part story. I would _love _for you guys to check them out! ;) My next multichapter project is still up in the air. I've been juggling ideas for three stories; my muse comes and goes on each one. I'm trying to buckle down and focus on one, b/c I'm not cool (or coordinated) enough to bounce between multiple stories! Haha! If you would like, put me on author alert to see when my next work is posted! :o) Check out my profile for my future project ideas and shoot me a message (or review) and let me know which one you'd like to see me tackle! Thanks!**

**Please remember: Reviews = Love! :o) Love you guys! **

_**Until next time...**_


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